OCLC connects 18,000 member institutions around the world. That unique network is powered by both cooperation, and the individual talent and commitment of people whose contributions make an important difference in the communities they serve.
Each year, OCLC honors six librarians who bring innovation and creativity to their work in the global library community. All of them were recognized at the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, DC, recently. We had the pleasure of hosting three of the 2019 award recipients at an OCLC reception at ALA.
Please join me in congratulating and thanking these six accomplished colleagues for all they have contributed to our community.
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John Ames Humphry/OCLC Forest Press Award for International Librarianship
Deborah Jacobs, the recently retired Director of the Global Libraries Initiative at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is this year’s award recipient, which honors exceptional contributions to international librarianship. Deborah started her career in the 1970s serving children in a rural library system. Later, she led the Seattle Public Library for 11 years and eventually took her work to an international constituency with the Gates Foundation. Deborah led the Foundation’s work for ten years to position the world’s 320,000 public libraries as critical community assets for the vast population of one billion information-poor inhabitants.
ALA Spectrum Scholarship Program, LITA/OCLC Scholarship
Riko Fluchel, a recent MLIS graduate of the University of Washington’s iSchool program, is the 2018/2019 recipient of the LITA/OCLC Scholarship. Riko studied metadata, taxonomy, and ontology while at the UW iSchool. He has a special interest in creating innovative systems that are strengthened by ontologies and linked data, especially in cultural heritage and genealogy. Another concentration area for Riko are the ways in which information architecture supports and hinders information literacy.
Margaret Mann Citation
Terry Reese, Jr., Head of Digital Initiatives and Infrastructure Support at The Ohio State University Libraries, is this year’s recipient of the Margaret Mann Citation. The award recognizes outstanding professional achievement in cataloging or classification. Terry’s most notable achievement is leading the development and ongoing work of MarcEdit, a tool that is used by a wide range of libraries to bridge cataloging practices like MARC, XML, linked data, and crosswalks. The Margaret Mann Citation includes a $2,000 scholarship that OCLC donates in the recipient’s honor. Terry has chosen the University of Maryland’s iSchool to receive the scholarship.
Virginia Boucher/OCLC Distinguished ILL Librarian Award
Zack Lane, Head of Delivery Services, Butler Library, Columbia University Libraries, received the 2019 Virginia Boucher/OCLC Distinguished ILL Librarian Award. This award recognizes outstanding professional achievement, leadership, and contributions to interlibrary loan and document delivery. Zack is known for undertaking the data analysis that led to the development of new streamlined and cost-effective improvements at the ILL transaction level. He has shared his findings at regional and national events to support increased efficiencies at scale.
Frederick G. Kilgour Award for Research in Library and Information Technology
Charles McClure, Professor of Information Studies at Florida State University’s iSchool, is the 2019 recipient of the Frederick G. Kilgour Award for Research in Library and Information Technology. Named for OCLC’s founder, the award recognizes work in the development of information technologies that have substantive impact on the publication, storage, retrieval, and/or dissemination of information—or the processes for managing data. Charles, who is also Director of the Information Use Management and Policy Institute at Florida State, has focused his work on information policy, networked services, broadband deployment, and digital libraries during his 45-year career.
Melvil Dewey Medal*
June Garcia, whose career has included roles as public library administrator, author, trainer, consultant, and advocate for public libraries at the local, national, and international levels, is the 2019 Melvil Dewey Medal recipient. The award recognizes “creative leadership of high order, particularly in … library management, library training, cataloging and classification, and the tools and techniques of librarianship.” June is known for her work as the leader of the public libraries in Phoenix, Arizona, and San Antonio, Texas; for developing tools for public libraries to plan, measure, and evaluate library services; for creating the International Network of Emerging Library Innovators (a Gates Foundation initiative); extensive service to ALA; and much more.
* Note: The American Library Association Council voted affirmatively on a recent resolution to rename this award for 2020 and future years.
Congratulations!
Please join us in congratulating this distinguished group of community leaders. It is our privilege to support leading and innovative librarians whose contributions advance librarianship and inspire others to do great work.
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