This prize, established by the AHA Council in 1981, is offered every five years for the most outstanding reference tool in the field of history. It is named after Waldo G. Leland, a distinguished contributor to bibliographical guides, who served as secretary to the Association from 1909 to 1920. “Reference tool” encompasses bibliographies, indexes, encyclopedias, and other scholarly apparatus. The award is honorific. See the list of past recipients.

The general rules for submission are:

1. Books with an copyright between 2016 and 2020 will be eligible for the prize in 2021.
2. Nomination submissions may be made by an author or by a publisher. Publishers may submit as many entries as they wish. Authors or publishers may submit the same book for multiple AHA prizes.
3. Nominators must complete an online prize submission form for each book submitted.
4. One copy of each entry must be sent to each committee member and clearly labeled “Leland Prize Entry.” Print copies preferred unless otherwise indicated. If only e-copy is available, please contact review committee members beforehand to arrange submission format.

Please Note: Entries must be received by May 15, 2021, to be eligible for the 2021 competition. Recipients will be announced on the AHA website in October 2021 and recognized during a ceremony at the January 2022 AHA annual meeting in New Orleans.

For questions, please contact the Prize Administrator.