Arlene Cohen wins Boucher-OCLC Distinguished ILL Librarian Award

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For Immediate Release


March 21, 2006

Arlene Cohen wins Boucher-OCLC Distinguished ILL Librarian Award

CHICAGO — Arlene Cohen, associate professor and the circulation and interlibrary loan librarian, Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Library, University of Guam, Mangilao, is the 2006 Virginia Boucher-OCLC Distinguished Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Librarian Award recipient. The award recognizes and honors a librarian for outstanding professional achievement, leadership and contributions to ILL and document delivery.

The Sharing and Transforming Access to Resources Section (STARS) of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), administers the award.

The award is named for Virginia Boucher, professor emeritus at the university of Colorado-Boulder and former ILL librarian whose significant contributions and leadership enhanced the field of interlibrary loan. The $2,000 award and citation are donated by OCLC, Online Computer Library Center.

“Arlene Cohen exemplifies excellence in interlibrary loan services,” said Suzanne Ward, chair of the award committee. “Her outstanding accomplishments include initiating cooperative interlibrary loan services throughout the Pacific Islands, a distinguished record of publications and presentations on resource sharing and access to information resources; and her tireless advocacy for library services to underdeveloped regions.”

Arlene Cohen co-founded FreeShare, a cross-regional DOCLINE library group whose members agree to fill interlibrary loan requests free of charge. She also mentors FreeForAll, a coalition of libraries providing free interlibrary loan to libraries in the developing world.

The award will be presented at the RUSA STARS Interlibrary Loan Discussion Group Meeting on Saturday, June 24, 2006, 8–10 a.m., during the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans.