Helen Bailey first recipient of Merrill-Oldham Grant

CHICAGO - Helen Bailey, preservation specialist at Dartmouth College Library, has been awarded the first Jan Merrill-Oldham Professional Development Grant.

The Jan Merrill-Oldham Professional Development Grant is given by the Preservation and Reformatting Section (PARS) of the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS) to support travel to the American Library Association Annual Conference. The grant is intended to encourage and support preservation librarians who are new to the field to become involved in the ALA conference. The recipient will attend the Preservation Administrators Interest Group meeting and at least one other PARS interest group meeting, as well as write about the experience for ALCTS Newsletter Online. The grant is sponsored by the Library Binding Institute.

Bailey embodies many of the qualities that Merrill-Oldham herself looked for in her own professionals, a dedication to the field, a passion for continuing education, a willingness to share her knowledge and an infectious curiosity that infuses her work. Her application also demonstrated enthusiasm and a clear commitment to the preservation profession.

Bailey earned a B.A. in Anthropology and minor in Chemistry from Florida State University in 2007 and an MSIS and Certificate of Advanced Study in Conservation of Library and Archives Conservation from the University of Texas at Austin School of Information in 2009.

The award will be presented on Sunday, June 24, at the ALCTS Awards Ceremony during the 2012 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif.

ALCTS is a division of the American Library Association.