Campuses which cannot be included in this program may develop parallel programs for rewarding performance in librarianship similar to that described in the selection criteria for this rank. A candidate for Distinguished Librarian must have attained the rank of Full Librarian. A candidate for appointment to the Distinguished Librarian rank must have completed at least five years of full-time service at the rank of Full Librarian on the campus that recommends the appointment and at least ten years of service within the State University of New York. Nominees should generally have had a longer career in librarianship than indicated by the minimum requirement. The Distinguished librarian rank should be awarded to librarians where there is reasonable expectation of continued activity.
Posthumous nominations are ineligible for consideration.
Nominations for the Distinguished Librarian rank should arise according to procedures determined by the local campus President. They should be based upon sustained, continuing, and recognized excellence in librarianship significantly above and beyond those needed to attain the rank of Full Librarian. Self-nomination is not appropriate. The campus President should appoint a committee to screen nominations and provide a detailed evaluation of any prospective nominee the committee recommends to the President. The committee's deliberations and recommendation, if any, shall be kept strictly confidential.