The ASAL Executive appoints three judging panel conveners from among its number each year–each convener to come from a different state to the convener for the award in the previous year. Nominations for each of the awards can be made to the chair of the respective prize committee or through any member of the executive.

Procedures

The procedure for deciding the winners of the ALS Gold Medal, the Walter McRae Russell Award, and the Mary Gilmore Award is the following:

• that state representatives chosen by the executive should convene a panel consisting of themselves and two other ASAL members
• that all ASAL members be invited to nominate potential award winners to the Prize Panel or Executive
• that the panels seek out suitable winners by checking publishers’ catalogues and book reviews, and by approaching publishers
• that the convener should bring a short list and brief report to the February executive meeting
• that the executive can make suggestions on the basis of this report, but that the panel has the final say on the winner
• that the name of the winner should be given to the annual conference organisers by the beginning of May
• and that a written report on the award winner should be presented to the July executive meeting and published on ASAL’s website following the annual conference