ACRL announces Leab Exhibition winners
Contact: Mary Ellen Davis
312-280-3248
ALA News Release
For Immediate Release
March 2001
ACRL announces Leab Exhibition winners
The winners of the 2001 Katharine Kyes Leab and Daniel J. Leab
American Book Prices Current Exhibition Awards have been named in four categories: Division One (expensive), Division Two (moderately expensive), Division Four (brochures) and Special Commendations for Electronic Exhibitions.
In Division One, the winner is 'Ulysses in Hand: The Rosenbach Manuscript," submitted by the Rosenbach Museum and Library.
"'Ulysses in Hand,' is an absolute treat," Diane Shaw, chair of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS) awards committee said. "Showing a remarkable level of detail for a slim exhibition catalog focused on a single work, "Ulysses in Hand," makes a difficult work of literature more accessible to the general reader by tying it to the places and events in Joyce's life. Finally, 'Ulysses in Hand,' is a testament to the foresight of noted bookseller and collector A. S. W. Rosenbach, who recognized the importance of "Ulysses in Hand," purchasing the manuscript at auction in 1923 and preserving it for later consultation by scholars and bibliophiles."
An Honorable Mention in Division One is awarded to The Grolier Club for "The Art of Publisher's Bookbindings, 1815-1915."
"[This catalog] enables the reader to trace visually the styles used and then abandoned through time and across various geographical regions," Shaw explained. "Illustrated with full-color reproductions, this resource makes a useful reference for librarians and collectors."'
In Division Two, the winner is "Word and Image: Samuel Beckett and the Visual Text," submitted by the Robert W. Woodruff Library and The Correspondence of Samuel Beckett Project of Emory University; and Institut Memoires de l'edition contemporaine (IMEC), Paris.
"The catalog 'Word and Image' was made to accompany an exhibition of illustrated editions of Samuel Beckett's works," Shaw said. "'Word and Image,' effectively evokes the creative kinship between Beckett's complex works of literature and the visual art those works have inspired."
In Division Three the winner is de Grummond Children's Literature Collection at the University of Southern Mississippi Libraries for its submission, "Curious George Comes to Hattiesburg: The Life and Work of H. A. and Margret Rey."
"Almost anyone who has come of age since the 1940s will recognize the appealing figure of 'Curious George,' but his creators Margret and H. A. Rey also directed their talents into a number of literary and artistic endeavors," Shaw explained. "Beautifully illustrated in full color, the catalog highlights the careers, accomplishments and hobbies of the Reys. Browsing through this delightful catalog is sure to bring a smile to one's face."
In Division Four, the winner is "So Fairly Bound: Fine Twentieth-Century Bookbindings and Illuminated Manuscripts from the Edward R. Leahy Collection," submitted by the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Memorial Library of the University of Scranton.
"'So Fairly Bound' was designed to echo the sumptuousness of the modern fine bindings and illuminated manuscripts featured in the exhibition," Shaw said. "This beautifully produced double-fold brochure provides a short overview of the famous London craft houses of Riviere and Sangorski and Sutcliffe. This keepsake serves as a special remembrance of the treasures featured in the Weinberg Library's exhibition."
Finally, Special Commendations for Electronic Exhibitions were awarded to The Water Resources Center Archives and Environmental Design Archives of the University of California at Berkeley for "Bridging the Bay: Bridging the Campus"
(http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/Exhibits/Bridge) and The Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature at the Humanities and Social Sciences Library of the New York Public Library for "Nabokov Under Glass"
(http://www.nypl.org/research/chss/epo/nabokov/).
"Bridging the Bay: Bridging the Campus" was selected for its overall graphic design and easy sight navigation," explained Shaw. "This enjoyable and informative electronic exhibition exemplifies the great possibilities that the World Wide Web holds for successful collaborative projects between a number of different repositories of printed and archival materials."
'Nabokov Under Glass,' said Shaw, "...was selected because of its good site organization and its integration of the narrative text and the accompanying images. This selection of items admirably succeeds in highlighting the diversity and comprehensive nature of the Nabokov Archive."
Certificates will be presented to the winners at the RBMS plenary session on Sunday, June 17, during the 2001 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in San Francisco.
For more information about ACRL awards, visit the
ACRL Web site or contact Mary Ellen Davis, executive director, ACRL at 800/545-2433, ext. 3248 or
mdavis@ala.org.
The ACRL, a division of the ALA, is the only individual membership organization in North America that develops programs, products, and services to meet the unique needs of academic librarians. It is dedicated to enhancing the ability of academic library and information professionals to serve the information needs of the higher education community and to improve learning, teaching and research.
