Loriene Roy receives 2006 Equality Award
Contact:
Cheryl Malden
Program Officer
Governance
312-280-3247
For Immediate Release
April 25, 2006
Loriene Roy receives 2006 Equality Award
CHICAGO - Loriene Roy, professor in the School of Information at the University of Texas at Austin, is the 2006 recipient of the American Library Association (ALA) Equality Award, which recognizes contributions for promoting equality in the library profession. The award, given annually to an individual or group, consists of a citation and $500 donated by Scarecrow Press, a member of the Rowman and Littlefield Publishing Group.
Roy is being recognized for her service and research that has opened doors for minority students and librarians to successful careers in librarianship. She has supported the cause of librarians and library patrons of color through her numerous publications and has made equality for all librarians her lifelong goal. She has positively impacted diverse groups with her contribution to education and research.
Roy, an Anishinabe enrolled in the White Earth Reservation and a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, is well known for organizing If I Can Read, I Can Do Anything, the national reading promotion project for Native American children on reservations. She also has contributed to the development of virtual libraries and museums aimed at indigenous people. By incorporating service learning into her classes, Roy has advanced information technology and literacy among native populations. She has been a strong proponent of recruiting native students into careers in librarianship and serves on several advisory boards and committees that are relevant to her mission.
"The jury selected Dr. Loriene Roy to receive the 2006 ALA Equality Award because of her commitment to advance literacy and librarianship among Native Americans," said Chair Mohan Ramaswamy of Emporia (Kan.) State University.
"Roy has affected many individuals through her concerted emphasis on informed advocacy," said Kathleen de la Peña, McCook University of South Florida, School of Library and Information Science, who made the nomination. "She has been open and expressive to all students and has helped them to expand their focus to people of all types. Dr. Roy's work has ensured that First Nations people, people of reservations and indigenous people are considered by libraries and library systems when configuring service."
Roy served as president of ALA's American Indian Library Association (1997-1998) and as a member of the International Indigenous Librarians Council. An active member of ALA, she served on several Spectrum committees and currently is a member of ALA's governing Council, the Public Library Association, the Reference and User Services Association divisions, the International Relations Roundtable, and the Social Responsibility Roundtable.
Other members of the 2006 Equality Award are: Eva M. Davis, Ann Arbor (Mich.) District Library; Roshayne L. Jaimon, Ann Arbor (Mich.) District Library; Carla J. Stoffle, University of Arizona at Tucson; and Beth Thomsett-Scott, University of North Texas, Denton.
The 2006 Equality Award will be presented at the Award Reception and Ceremony, Tuesday, June 27, during the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans.
The deadline for submissions of applications for the 2007 Equality Award is December 1, 2006. Guidelines and application forms are available at
www.ala.org/ala/awardsbucket/equalityaward/equalityaward.htm.
