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For Immediate Release
June 17, 2005

Donald C. Boyd named 2005 winner of Justin Winsor Prize

CHICAGO - Donald C. Boyd is the 2005 winner of the Justin Winsor Prize presented by the American Library Association (ALA) Library History Round Table (LHRT). The award, $500 and a certificate, is presented annually to the author of an outstanding essay embodying original historical research on a significant subject of library history. The author also is invited to publish the essay in Libraries & Culture , a journal of library history published by University of Texas Press.

A doctoral candidate at the University of Florida, Boyd won the prize for his essay, “The Book Women of Kentucky: The WPA Pack Horse Library Project, 1935-1943.” “The essay tells the story of an important part of library history. Mr. Boyd did an excellent job defining research questions and based the essay solidly in primary sources that were integrated into the narrative in an interesting manner,” said Marek Sroka, chair of the prize committee. “Details of Appalachian culture flesh out the story and embody the historical context of the essay. The essay also deals indirectly with a question of successfully serving underprivileged segments of American society by winning their trust through personal contacts. The paper is written in a style that is clear and concise. It is a very interesting read and holds the reader's attention.”

The Library History Round Table will present the award on Sunday, June 26, 1:30-3:30 pm, Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, Sheraton Ballroom during the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago.