ACRL announces Oberly Award winner

Contact: Mary Ellen Davis


312-280-3248

ALA News Release


For Immediate Release


March 2001

ACRL announces Oberly Award winner

Charles H. Smith, science librarian and associate professor of library public services at Western Kentucky University, has been awarded the 2001 Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Oberly Award for Bibliography in the Agricultural or Natural Sciences for his book "Biodiversity Studies" (Scarecrow Press, 2000).

The award, given in odd-numbered years, is funded by the Eunice Rockwood Oberly Endowment and administered by the ACRL Science and Technology Section (STS).

"'Biodiversity Studies,' is the first comprehensive reference work published on the extremely important and timely topic of biodiversity," Committee Chair Jeannie Miller said. "Dr. Smith's academic background in biogeography and evolutionary studies, in combination with skilled bibliographic technique, has resulted in a superior scholarly work."

Smith received his doctorate in geography from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and his master's in library science from the University of Pittsburgh. He has published articles in the fields of biogeography, history of science, systems theory, bibliography and collection development, and a monographic anthology of the shorter writings of Alfred Russel Wallace.

The award, $350 and a plaque, will be presented at the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in San Francisco during the STS 2001 Program on Monday, June 18 at 8:30 a.m.

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.

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.