Excellence in Academic Libraries winners announced
Contact: Stephanie Sherrod
312-280-2515
ssherod @ala.org
For Immediate Release
March 2002
Excellence in Academic Libraries winners announced
The winners of the 2002 Excellence in Academic Libraries Award are the Andrew G. Truxal Library at Anne Arundel Community College, Cornell University Library, and the Oberlin College Libraries. Sponsored by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) and Blackwell's Book Services, the award recognizes the staff of a college, university, and community college library for programs that deliver exemplary services and resources to further the educational mission of the institution.
"Receiving an Excellence in Academic Libraries Award is a national tribute to a library and its staff for the outstanding services, programs and leadership they provides to their students, administrators, faculty, and community," said Mary Ellen Davis, ACRL executive director.
The
Andrew G. Truxal Library at Anne Arundel Community College, winner of the community college category, emphasized its creative strategies for meeting the needs of the student body as well as a creative information literacy program that strengthens the curriculum.
"The selection committee felt that the library's emphasis on 'colleagues in learning' gave new meaning to the concept of a learning community," Larry Hardesty, chair of the 2002 Excellence in Academic Libraries Selection Committee said.
"I am thrilled that the faculty and staff at Anne Arundel Community College's Andrew G. Truxal Library have won the Excellence in Academic Libraries Award," said library director Cynthia K. Steinhoff. "This prestigious honor signifies that our library colleagues recognize our firm commitment to student success and lifelong learning. Our partnerships with the faculty, administrators and others on campus made possible this high level of student support and I salute them for the vital role they continue to play in helping our library be the best it can be."
Cornell University Library, winner of the university category, described its commitment to transforming scholarly communication, and staff development in their winning application. Hardesty and the selection committee commented, "Cornell University Library undertook ambitious digitization projects and was willing to share lessons learned with the wider higher education community."
Sarah E. Thomas, Carl A. Kroch University librarian, Cornell University Library, told ACRL, "We are delighted to have been selected. You can't imagine what a wonderful place Cornell is until you've had the pleasure of spending time with our creative and dedicated library staff. They have an unparalleled esprit de corps, working together to bring the highest quality service to Cornell students, faculty and staff. Whether building a cutting-edge digital library, providing a nurturing and intellectual environment for campus learners, or sharing their research with others, my colleagues are the best."
The Oberlin College Libraries, winner of the college category, was commended by the selection committee for "a tradition of leadership excellence both on campus and in the profession." The committee also saluted Oberlin for its model program aimed at recruiting student library assistants into academic librarianship.
"Winning the award is a testament to the superb quality of our library staff and their ongoing commitment to providing excellent services and resources for our community," said Ray English, director of libraries at Oberlin College. "I greatly appreciate the opportunity this award provides to celebrate the staff's many recent accomplishments, which are part of a long tradition of library excellence at Oberlin."
Each winning library will receive $3,000 and a citation, to be presented at an award ceremony held on each recipient's campus. The winners will also receive special recognition at the ACRL President's Program during the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference on June 17, 2002, in Atlanta.
ACRL is the only individual membership organization in North America that develops programs, products and services to meet the unique needs of academic librarians. ACRL's 11,000 members are comprised of individuals from a wide range of academic institutions, publishers and vendors who sell in the academic marketplace. ACRL enhances the effectiveness of academic and research librarians to advance learning, teaching and research in higher education. More information about ACRL's programs and services can be located on the
ACRL Web site. ACRL is a division of the ALA.
