2021 GODORT Award Winners

The Government Documents Round Table (GODORT) 2021 award winners

NewsBank/Readex/GODORT/ALA Catharine J. Reynolds Research Grant

Susanne Caro, Government Information Librarian, Main Library, North Dakota State University is the recipient of the NewsBank/Readex/GODORT/ALA Catharine J. Reynolds Research Grant.  The committee believes Susanne’s research proposal will make a substantial contribution to the field.  As many libraries have extensive microform collections, identifying deterioration is vital to prioritizing digitization. Having a more accurate means of identifying at risk items not only helps with this, it can also prevent the premature discarding of items as well.  This research project will be of great value to the library community as a whole, not only government documents.  We are proud to present Susanne with this grant to further this valuable research.

ProQuest/GODORT/ALA "Documents to the People" Award

Kelly Smith, Government Information Librarian/Librarian for Urban Studies & Planning and Environmental Policy & Studies, UC San Diego Library, has been awarded ProQuest/GODORT/ALA "Documents to the People" Award.  Kelly’s nomination focused on her dedication to providing government documents in her distinguished service at the UC San Diego Library. Her contributions include a strong interest in not only serving the university community but also the community at large. The GovInfo at UC San Diego Library Facebook page is a shining example.  She updates it regularly, noting and highlighting government document resources that others might miss.  Her Weekly Roundup Gov Docs LibGuide shared weekly is a treasure trove of information.  This ongoing activity is a consistent service to those interested in government documents. It is obvious she considers the entirety of the open federal web to be an extension of your own library collection, and as such, does an amazing job of sharing this information. It is a privilege to honor Kelly with this award for years of dedication and service to Government Information. 

James Bennett Childs Award

Janet Fisher, Administrator, Arizona Talking Book Library, Arizona State Library has been awarded the James Bennett Childs Award.  Janet started her career as a Young Adult Services and Reference Librarian in Kokomo, Indiana and Assistant Head of Reference/Documents/Genealogy Librarian at the El Paso Public Library in Texas.  Janet moved to Arizona in 1985 and began a career with the Arizona State Library that continues today.  During Janet's time as the Division Director of the Law and Research Library, Arizona's regional depository library was named Federal Depository Library of the Year for 2013 to honor active participation in the electronic distribution of online cataloging records project, creation of the state master plan for depository libraries, and collaboration on development of a biennial multi-state virtual depository library conference. Throughout her career, Janet has been enthusiastic about creating new opportunities and using existing ones for spreading the message of the importance of connecting Americans with government information. This can be seen by her role in planning a number of conferences and delivering many conference presentations. She participated in the IMLS Laura Bush 21st Century Libraries grant project, Government Information in the 21st Century, serving as state coordinator and presenter for Arizona in this five-state grant for Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming.  It is for this and many other reasons that she is our selected recipient of the James Bennett Childs Award.

Margaret T. Lane / Virginia F. Saunders Memorial Research Award

Amanda Wakaruk and Sam-chin Li for Government Information in Canada: Access and Stewardship - Edited by Amanda Wakaruk, Copyright and Scholarly Communications Librarian, University of Alberta Library and Museums and Sam-chin Li, Government Information Librarian, University of Toronto Libraries have been awarded the Margaret T. Lane / Virginia F. Saunders Memorial Research Award.

Canadian Government Information Systems mirror many of the federal, state, and local systems in the Unites States, yet publications dedicated to librarianship of Canadian government information are surprisingly rare.  While reviewing literature on government information reference services, it was found that the most recently published book on the subject was nearly forty years old.  Thankfully, Government Information in Canada: Access and Stewardship was published in 2019.  Wakaruk and Li have brought together chapters from various sources and authors to fill this gap.