For immediate release | April 17, 2025
Jonathan Victor Baldoza selected as the 2025 LHRT Justin Winsor Award Winner
CHICAGO - The American Library Association’s (ALA) Library History Roundtable (LHRT) Justin Winsor Award Committee is pleased to announce the winner of this year’s essay award. The recipient of this year’s award is Jonathan Victor Baldoza for the essay “A suitable place: Empire and the Philippine Library, 1910-1916.”
A graduate student in history at Princeton University, Baldoza studies the history of maritime Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines in the late 19th and 20th century. His dissertation explores how colonial agencies collected and analyzed a variety of materials to construct a history of the Philippines and its people.
Baldoza’s essay examines James A. Robertson’s role as the first librarian of the Philippine Library, beginning in 1910. Through the skillful use of primary sources, Baldoza situates Robertson’s quest to find a “suitable place” for the library within larger questions of the library’s role in supporting colonialism and promoting a racial ideology of U.S. imperialism. The award committee particularly appreciated Baldoza’s extensive use of primary sources and focus on the important topic of libraries in imperial spaces. Baldoza connected different philosophies about the role of the library in this colonial space to larger questions about U.S. imperialism and racist ideologies. His essay also brings to light the role the Filipino biographer and author Manuel Artigas played in the creation and operation of the library, which had been downplayed in previous histories of the library.
The Justin Winsor Library History Award is given annually to recognize the best essay written in English on library history. The award is named in honor of the distinguished nineteenth-century librarian, historian, and bibliographer who was also ALA’s first president. It consists of a certificate and a $500 cash award, as well as an invitation to have the winner’s essay considered for publication in Libraries: Culture, History, and Society.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
The American Library Association (ALA) is the only non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated entirely to America's libraries and library professionals. For almost 150 years, ALA has provided resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. The ALA serves academic, public, school, government, and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library's role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit www.ala.org.
Contact:
Rachel Trnka
Chair
LHRT Justin Winsor Award Committee
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