History

In 1982, Bookbuilders West established the Distinguished Service Award. This honor went to
individuals who

• exemplified the ideals of Bookbuilders West,
• maintained the highest personal standards of craftsmanship and devotion to their work above and beyond the regular call to duty,
• demonstrated interest and service to the Bookbuilders community, although not necessarily to the Bookbuilders West organization as such,
• were known for something extra they had given to the job or to book building, whether it be unusual talent, brilliance, innovation, integrity, devotion, or helpfulness to others, and
• had universal appeal to all segments of the publishing industry.

The honoree was selected by a DSA committee consisting of current/former presidents and past DSA recipients.

After BBW transitioned to Publishing Professionals Network in 2012, the organization continued to present the DSA award.

Changing Times and the DSA Award

As local and national publishing have become intertwined via social networking and virtual connectivity, so have PPN’s mission and focus expanded. It is time now to recognize a wider community of publishing professionals who exhibit commitment to our joint goals of advancing our trade and making publishing more welcoming to all who wish to join.

Updated Selection Criteria

Candidates for this new variation of the DSA will be individuals who demonstrate some combination of the following criteria:

• exemplification of the PPN mission to provide support, educational resources, and opportunities to all individuals involved in, or interested in joining, the book and book-related publishing
• devotion to, and support of, the highest possible standards for developing and crafting books and book-related publications
• recognition for something extra that they have brought to the publishing community, whether it be unusual talent, brilliance, innovation, integrity, devotion, or helpfulness to others
• a tangible contribution toward increased diversity, equity, and inclusion within the publishing industry

Updated Selection Process

• PPN will request nominations from the broad publishing community through email blasts and social media. These requests will include links to a simple nomination form.
• The nomination form will include fields for brief essays and supporting information/references/links as available.
• PPN committee members will review all entries and winnow the group down to the top choices based on the updated selection criteria (above).
• Those choices will be put to vote via online balloting by the same audience that supplied the nominations.

This year’s honoree will be named at the 49th PPN Book Show, to be held on April 21, 2021.

Recipients