Richard Johnson Receives 2016 LITA/Christian Larew Memorial Scholarship

Richard Johnson has been selected to receive the 2016 LITA/Christian Larew Memorial Scholarship ($3,000) sponsored by the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA) and Baker & Taylor. Johnson will be attending the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Information Studies starting in Fall 2016 with a planned concentration in Information Organization.

This Scholarship is for master’s level study, with an emphasis on library technology and/or automation, at a library school program accredited by the American Library Association. Criteria for the Scholarship includes previous academic excellence, evidence of leadership potential, and a commitment to a career in library automation and information technology.

The Committee noted that "Johnson has demonstrated a clear commitment to library information technology and a strong desire to continue to learn and grow.  His experience, vision, and leadership will undoubtedly be an asset to the profession."

Johnson is the Co-Director of Digital Initiatives and Scholarship at Hesburgh Libraries of the University of Notre Dame. In this role, he directs the design and development of the libraries' data curation and digital library solutions. He also currently serves as a Visiting Program Officer for the Association of Research Libraries for the SHARE project to develop and deepen SHARE partnerships with other organizations to improve data sharing, metadata alignment, and foster a tighter network of research repositories, databases, and information systems. Johnson has contributed to several other collaborations such as DASPOS (Data and Software Preservation for Open Science), an NSF grant funded project focused on open sharing of scientific data especially within High Energy Physics (HEP), and a burgeoning collaboration between Notre Dame and the Center for Open Science. He spearheaded the implementation of the University of Notre Dame’s institutional repository, CurateND, and he has contributed to the multi-institutional Hydra collaboration as both a code committer and technical manager on several projects.

When notified he had won, Johnson said, "I am honored to be this year’s recipient of the Christian Larew Memorial Scholarship. Ever since joining the libraries,  the core values of librarianship have deeply resonated for me: access, preservation, the public good, service, social responsibility. I have been fortunate to be involved in several community projects with incredible colleagues where I have seen the impact librarians can make as technology and research partners. They inspired me to seek an MLIS degree to expand my own research efforts and deepen my knowledge to become this kind of 21st century librarian."

Members of the 2016 LITA/Christian Larew Memorial Scholarship Committee are: Matthew Carruthers (Chair), Julia Bauder, Heidi E. Hanson, Susan E. Marcin, Elizabeth McKinstry, and Holly Tomren.

About LITA

Established in 1966, the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA) is the leading organization reaching out across types of libraries to provide education and services for a broad membership of nearly 2,700 systems librarians, library technologists, library administrators, library schools, vendors, and many others interested in leading edge technology and applications for librarians and information providers. LITA is a division of the American Library Association. Follow us on our Blog, Facebook, or Twitter.

About Baker & Taylor

Baker & Taylor, LLC is the premier worldwide distributor of books, digital content and entertainment products. The company offers cutting-edge digital media services and innovative technology platforms to thousands of publishers, libraries, schools and retailers worldwide. Baker & Taylor also offers industry leading customized library services and retail merchandising solutions.