Cynthia Cohen named LITA/Ex Libris Student Writing Award winner for LOCKSS paper

CHICAGO — Cynthia Cohen, May 2012 graduate of the San José State University School of Library and Information Science, has been named the winner of the 2012 LITA/Ex Libris Student Writing Award, sponsored by Ex Libris Group and the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).

Cohen's paper, titled "Extending LOCKSS: The Preservation Risks of Private LOCKSS Networks", provides a review of the basics of the LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe) project, originally designed to ensure long-term preservation of and access to e-journal content, and considers the potential preservation risks of private LOCKSS networks (PLNs) which are exploring how to extend LOCKSS in preserving collections more diverse and less predictable than e-journal content.

"The members of the LITA/Ex Libris Student Writing Award Committee and I are pleased to acknowledge and honor with this award Cynthia Cohen's clear and cogent manuscript, which presents a balanced view in an area in which opinions are very divided," said Heidi Hanson, chair of the committee. "Ms. Cohen's paper examines both the technology being applied to the task of preserving digital content and the philosophical questions and challenging decisions facing organizations interested in more specialized applications of the LOCKSS technology to support a common preservation mission for unique special collections."

The $1,000 award will be presented at the LITA Awards Ceremony on Sunday, June 24, 2012 during the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif. at the Anaheim Convention Center in Ballroom A. Ms. Cohen's paper will be published in Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL), LITA's open access scholarly journal.

About LITA

Established in 1966, LITA is the leading organization reaching out across types of libraries to provide education and services for a broad membership of over 3,000 systems librarians, library technologists, library administrators, library schools, vendors and many others interested in leading edge technology and applications for librarians and information providers. For more information, visit www.lita.org.