The Association of Moving Image Archivists will honor its own with a new award, named for one of its best.

The association, the world’s largest grouping of moving-image archivists, has announced The Alan Stark Award. It will honor contributions through special projects or project management in moving-image archiving.

Alan J. Stark was a stalwart member of AMIA, and the award honors his commitment to the association, “his contributions to the preservation of moving image archives,” the association said in a statement. That, and “Alan’s belief that the work done to preserve our audiovisual heritage is strengthened by the diversity of experts working in the field.”

Stark, a lifetime member who died unexpectedly of acute pancreatitis in September 2011 at the age of 65, served on AMIA’s board as well as on numerous committees. He is remembered as a mentor to fellow archivists, and as an association treasurer who was “a significant force in helping ensure AMIA’s financial stability,” the statement said.

He was the co-owner and vice-president of Film Technology Co. Inc., which is located in Hollywood. As a partner there, “Alan was always willing and available to provide technical advice and expertise to AMIA members regarding film preservation and restoration,” said the AMIA announcement of the award. “His love of film and his love of music also resulted in a variety of memorable AMIA events including an Opening Night Concert at the Annual Conference in Savannah, the Wanamaker Organ Tour in Philadelphia, and live musical accompaniment to silent film screenings at the Reel Thing Technical Symposium.”

Examples of projects that qualify for the Stark Award are those that have streamlined a workflow, improved an existing process, increased access to a collection, highlighted a collection, highlighted an institution, helped preserve a collection, advanced the field, advanced an institution, or benefited AMIA operations. Association members may make nominations for the award www.amianet.org/events/awardstark.php but the nominee need not be an AMIA member.

The inaugural Stark Award will be made in December at the group’s annual conference, which this year will take place in Seattle.