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

The award will be given annually to an author or shared among collaborative authors of an outstanding research article in which government documents, either published or archival in nature, form a substantial part of the documented research. Preference may be given to articles published in library literature but the award is not restricted to articles in library journals.

This award is being established to honor the memory of two women who worked with endless enthusiasm to make the ideal of citizen access to government information a reality.  

Margaret Lane, a pioneer in the establishment and administration of state document depository systems and one of the founders of GODORT, was the author of the seminal work on state documents and her personal charm added to her effectiveness as an advocate for and teacher of government documents. Virginia Saunders was instrumental in the support and continued production of the U.S. Congressional Serial Set and shared her vast knowledge and expertise with documents librarians nationwide for nearly forty years. Both women were leaders in the field and their work has enriched the research community immeasurably.