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

About the 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.

Administered by:

Government Documents Round Table (GODORT) logo

2012 Recipient(s)

The Federal Register: Origins, formulation, realization, and heritage

written by Harold Relyea and printed in Government Information Quarterly, July 2011, vol. 28, no. 3, pgs. 295-302.

The article focuses on the origin and development of the Federal Register, its significance as a publication, its role in creating greater government transparency and the legacy of the Federal Register Act. This article cites government information from hearings, statutes, court cases as well as documents, reports, and files in the National Archives from a wide variety of federal agencies, the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, and congressional testimony.