Dartmouth Medal recipient chosen
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For Immediate Release
February 18, 2005
Dartmouth Medal recipient chosen
CHICAGO - "The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography," published by Oxford University Press, 2004, is the recipient of the 2005 Dartmouth Medal.
The medal, donated by Dartmouth College and presented by the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is given for creating current reference works of outstanding quality and significance.
"Published online and in 60 print volumes, the dictionary surveys the significant contributions of individuals to British history, from the earliest times to the end of the year 2000," said John Lawrence, award committee chair.
"The lives of 54,922 persons are documented in the 50,113 entries of the dictionary.
Some 14 years in the making, the work was edited by the late Colin Matthew and Brian Harrison with the assistance of over 10,000 contributors."
A revision and expansion of the century-old "Dictionary of National Biography," the new "Oxford DNB" adds substantially to the knowledge base established by the original and its supplements. Their 38,607 entries were all revised or entirely re-written.
The bibliographies which accompany each article were updated.
Another 16, 315 new entries greatly expand the historical coverage of women, labor and business.
Over 10,000 illustrations also are newly added.
Like the original that has served scholars for more than a century, the new "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography" is an essential tool for historians that will stand the test of time."
The award will be presented at RUSA Awards Ceremony on June 27, 2005, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., during the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago.
