ALA Home  RUSA  Awards Current Recipients

Current RUSA Award Recipients

2008

The medal, donated by Dartmouth College, is given for creating current reference works of outstanding quality and significance.

The Oxford Encyclopedia of Maritime History has been chosen as the 2008 Dartmouth Medal recipient.

"Of all the titles the Dartmouth Medal Committee considered for this year’s award, one left the others in its wake. The Oxford Encyclopedia of Maritime History is the first English language scholarly reference log of its kind. Its four volumes hold a cargo of nearly one thousand signed entries and four hundred illustrations. It contains all the seafaring topics you may expect, and many you may not. Not only did the international crew of naval, academic, and independent authors admirably achieve their goal of creating an interdisciplinary resource, they also made it fun," said Matthew Wyman, award committee chair. 

Return to Top of Page

The cash award of $1,000, donated by Gale Cengage Learning, will enable a student enrolled in an ALA-accredited master's program to attend an ALA Annual Conference.  It is given to a candidate who has demonstrated an interest in pursuing a career as a business reference librarian and has the potential to be a leader in the profession.

Daniel Hickey, a student of the School of Information Science at the University of Pittsburgh, is the recipient of the 2008 Business Reference and Services Section (BRASS) Gale Cengage Learning Student Travel Award.

"Daniel Hickey has attained an impressive list of accomplishments as a first semester library school student, such as being selected for a competitive joint internship with the Hillman Reference Department and the Business Library and faculty liaison for the school’s graduate organization (SISGO) where he is a voting member of the School of Information Science’s Council," said Tina M. Adams, the award committee chair.

Return to Top of Page

The award is a citation and $3,000 donated by Gale Cengage Learning, and is given to an individual for distinguished activities in the field of business librarianship.

Gary White, head of the Schreyer Business Library, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, is the recipient of the 2008 Gale Cengage Learning Award for Excellence in Business Librarianship administered by the Business Reference and Services Section (BRASS) of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).

Gary White is a business librarian par excellence. He is a practitioner, educator and leader," said Mark E. Andersen, award committee chair. "White is a leader in the field of business librarianship, most notably as the chair of BRASS and now as a director-at-large for RUSA.

"He has published extensively in this field and has presented at numerous professional meetings and conferences. In addition to numerous articles, books and book chapters, he was the editor of The Journal of Business and Finance Librarianship."

Return to Top of Page

The award, which is a citation and $3,000 donated by Gale Cengage, recognizes a library or library system for developing an imaginative and unique library resource to meet patrons’ reference needs.

The James Madison University Library and Educational Technologies is the 2008 recipient of the Gale Cengage award for Excellence in Reference and Adult Services.

"James Madison University’s Libraries and Educational Technologies’ Research Databases and Resources web site is a unique and innovative discovery tool for JMU’s students, faculty, and staff," said Kathy Tomajko, award committee chair.

Return to Top of Page

The award consists of $1,500 and a citation donated by The Genealogical Publishing Company and is given to encourage, recognize and commend professional achievement in historical reference and research librarianship.

Carla Rickerson, head of Manuscripts, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Washington Libraries, Seattle, is the 2008 recipient of the Genealogical Publishing Co. History Section Award .

"Carla Rickerson has exhibited excellence in service to the History Section by chairing the section, serving on committees and as section representative to RUSA division-level committees," stated Louis Vyhnanek, award committee chair.

"During her distinguished career, she has amassed an extensive list of publications, presentations on the national, regional and local levels and assisted writers and scholars in numerous works of national importance, including "Interpretations of Native North American Life," co-published by the University Press of Florida and the Society for Historical Archaeology."

 Return to Top of Page

This annual citation, named for Margaret E. Monroe, is presented to a librarian who has made a significant contribution to library service to adults. Margaret E. Monroe, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison until her retirement in 1981, was nationally-known for her contributions to teaching, research and service in the field of library services to adults.

Eileen Williams, adult reference and senior outreach librarian, Guilderland Public Library, Guilderland (N. Y.), is the 2008 recipient of the Margaret E. Monroe Library Adult Services Award.

"Eileen was unanimously selected by the award committee for her outstanding outreach and programming efforts," stated Jennifer Mahnken, award committee chair. "She has consistently, proactively designed creative, innovative programming to serve her patrons."

Return to Top of Page

The award of $5,000 and a citation, donated by Gale Cengage Learning, recognizes distinguished contributions to reference librarianship. The honor is named for Isadore Gilbert Mudge, who was a reference librarian, a bibliographer at Columbia University in New York and author of the 1917 revision of the "Guide to the Study and Use of Reference Books."

Margaret Stieg Dalton, associate professor, School of Library and Information Studies, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, is the recipient of the 2008 Isadore Gilbert Mudge-Gale Cengage Learning Award .

"Margaret’s experience and the strength of the letters of recommendation convinced us, among a strong group of nominees, that she merits this award," said Michael J. Whitchurch, award committee chair. "The letters demonstrated a career full of meaningful accomplishments and positive influences on students and colleagues in the field of Reference Librarianship."

Return to Top of Page

The award is a plaque and $2,500 donated by Reference Service Press, and is given to the author of the most outstanding article published in RUSQ, the division’s quarterly journal, during the preceding two-volume years.

James Elmborg, PhD, associate professor and director, School of Library and Information Science, University of Iowa, Iowa City, is the 2008 recipient of the Reference Service Press Award for the article, "Libraries in the Contact Zone: On the Creation of Educational Space," that appeared in Reference and User Services Quarterly (RUSQ) vol. 46, no. 1.

"This article was enthusiastically supported by all members of the jury because it was inspirational and built on the application of the social science construct of the ‘contact zone,’ known for promoting diversity and cultural differences in library services and practices," said Julia Gelfand, chair of the award committee.

 Return to Top of Page

The award is a plaque named in honor of John Sessions, former American Federation of Labor/Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) co-chair of the AFL-CIO/ALA Joint Committee on Library Service to Labor Groups. The plaque is given to recognize a library or library system that has made a significant effort to work with the labor community and by doing so has brought recognition to the history and contribution of the labor movement to the development of the United States.

The Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University, Detroit (Mich.), is the 2008 recipient of the John Sessions Memorial Award presented by the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). "The Walter P. Reuther Library with its No Greater Calling online resource has provided a treasure chest filled with a wealth of information on one of the most famous individuals in the history of the labor movement," said Jannie R. Cobb, award committee chair.

Return to Top of Page

The award is a citation and $2,000.  It is named for Virginia Boucher, professor emeritus at the University of Colorado-Boulder and former ILL librarian, whose significant contributions and leadership enhanced the field of interlibrary loan. Donated by OCLC, Online Computer Library Center, the award is given to a librarian for outstanding professional achievement, leadership and contributions to ILL and document delivery.

Suzanne M. Ward, head of Access Services, Purdue University Libraries, West Lafayette (Ind.), is this year’s recipient of the Virginia Boucher-OCLC Distinguished Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Librarian Award.

"Suzanne Ward has served as head of Access Services at Purdue University Libraries for 13 years and been a proactive leader in the profession for 26 years. She is an innovator in the interlibrary loan field, working to advance resource sharing with projects such as the ‘on demand’ program at Purdue University," said Suzanne Turner, chair of the award committee.

Return to Top of Page

The award is a citation and $1,000, and is donated by Dun & Bradstreet to support attendance at the ALA Annual Conference of a business librarian who works in a public library. The award is based on service to the community and on demonstration of need.

Elizabeth Malafi, business librarian, Miller Business resource Center, Middle Country Public Library, Centereach (N.Y.), is the recipient of the 2008 Dun & Bradstreet Public Librarian Support Award presented by the Business Reference and Services Section (BRASS).

"Elizabeth Malafi has built a strong relationship between the regional business community of Mid-Suffolk County and the Miller Business Resources Center of the Middle Country Public Library," said Nelly Somerman, award committee chair. "Her research skills and her dynamic business outreach attempts demonstrate outstanding business librarianship. She is a great asset to the profession and to BRASS."

Return to Top of Page

The award is $2,000 and a citation, donated by Dun & Bradstreet, and is given to a librarian or library that has created an innovative service for a minority business community or has been recognized by that community as an outstanding service provider. Minority business is defined as Hispanics, African Americans, Asians, Native Americans or people from the Indian subcontinent, as classified by the U. S. Government for minority-owned businesses.

Ka-Neng Au, business librarian, John Cotton Dana Library, Rutgers University, Newark (N.J.), is the 2008 recipient of the Dun & Bradstreet Award for Outstanding Service to Minority Business Communities. The award is sponsored by Dun & Bradstreet and presented by the Business Reference and Services Section (BRASS).

"Mr. Au goes beyond his traditional responsibilities as a business reference librarian at Rutgers University to help the Rutgers-Newark Small Business Development Center develop and teach classes to small business owners—a vast majority of which are minority owners" said Susan Wolf Neilson, award committee chair.

Return to Top of Page

The award is a medal, and is funded by Arthur Brody and the Brodart Foundation. It is given to encourage, recognize and commend outstanding achievement in Jewish literature. The Brody Medal is administered by the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA).

Nathan Englander is receiving the award for his book "The Ministry of Special Classes," published by Knopf.

"Set in Buenos Aires, during the Dirty War, Englander’s Kafkaesque novel uses dark humor to make a chilling statement about the elimination of cultures and peoples who do not conform to the new regime," said Barbara Bibel, award committee.

Three books received 2008 honorable mentions:

•  "Foreskin’s Lament: A Memoir," by Shalom Auslander and published by Riverhead Books. In a funny, bitter, vulgar, and occasionally mean-spirited diatribe, Auslander examines his own personal relationship with a wrathful deity.
• "The Zookeeper’s Wife: A War Story," by Diane Ackerman and published by Norton.  Ackerman’s book is based on the diary of Antonia Zabinski, wife of the director of the Warsaw Zoo during WWII.
•  "You Never Call! You Never Write! A History of the Jewish Mother," by Joyce Antler and published by Oxford University Press.  Cultural history at its best, this book traces the Jewish mother stereotype across the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

Return to Top of Page

This is one of two $5,000 cash awards, donated by Emerald Group Publishing, Limited to an ALA member seeking support in conducting research in business librarianship.

Hyun-Duck Chung, librarian, and Amy Van Scoy, assistant head of Reference, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, are co-recipients of one of the 2008 Emerald Research Grant awards, administered by the Business Reference and Services Section (BRASS).

Chung and Van Scoy are performing research on virtual reference transcripts. Virtual reference transcripts contain a wealth of data that librarians can use to better understand the needs of their patrons, how their library’s resources are used and how reference staff are responding to patrons’ needs. Subject-specific questions, especially business reference questions, can be challenging and offer insight into the use of expensive resources and students assignments.

“Chung and Van Scoy are looking at ways to support business librarians by assessing chat transcripts as training tools, said Jennifer Boettcher, BRASS Development Committee chair. “Their work will give the profession a fresh view on how to use ubiquitous chat transcripts that fill our desktops in public and academic libraries.”

This is one of two $5,000 cash awards, donated by Emerald Group Publishing Limited, to an ALA member seeking support for conducting research in business librarianship.

Eleonora Dubicki, assistant librarian, Monmouth University Library, West Long Branch (N.J.) will receive one of the 2008 Emerald Research Grant awards, administered by the Business Reference and Services Section (BRASS), a section of the Reference and Users Services Association (RUSA).

Dubicki’s study will look at the research needs of business students. An assessment of the importance and value placed on print resources, library research databases and World Wide Web resources will be performed. The information-seeking behaviors of business students related to these resources will be examined, as well as satisfaction with available resources.

“Eleonora Dubicki’s was one of many proposals attempting to capture research behavior patterns of business students," said Jennifer Boettcher, BRASS Development Committee chair. “Her research will assist all business librarians in assessing their collections and services to better meet the needs of business students.”

Return to Top of Page

Ann Chambers Theis, collection management administrator, Chesterfield County Public Library, Chesterfield, Virginia, is the recipient of the 2008 Louis Shores—Greenwood Publishing Group Award for overbooked.org.

The Louis Shores-Greenwood Publishing Group Award is a citation and $3000 cash award given to an individual reviewer, group, editor, review medium or organization to recognize excellence in the reviewing of books and other library materials. The award recipient is selected for his or her significant achievement related to a reviewing process that helps librarians make selections and collection development decisions.

“The committee selected overbooked.org because it assists librarians in making smart acquisition decisions, because it is free and accessible to all users, and because it is a pioneer in librarian-created content relating to collection development and readers’ advisory services,” stated Neal Wyatt, award committee chair.

Return to Top of Page