Sue Murdock recipient of the ASCLA Francis Joseph Campbell award

Contact: Eileen Hardy

ASCLA Marketing Specialist

312-280-4398

ehardy@ala.org

For Immediate Release

March 12, 2007

Sue Murdock recipient of the ASCLA Francis Joseph Campbell award

CHICAGO—Sue O. Murdock, head librarian of the Carnegie Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, is the recipient of the 2007 Francis Joseph Campbell Award.

The award is named for Francis Joseph Campbell (1832-1914), an American who lost his sight at the age of five. He was the music director at the Wisconsin School for the Blind and the Perkins Institution for the Blind. Campbell also was instrumental in the founding of the Royal National College for the Blind, and was knighted by King Edward VII of England.

The award, which consists of a citation and medal, is presented to a library or person who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of library service for the blind and physically handicapped. The Library Service to People with Visual or Physical Disabilities Forum, of the Libraries Serving Special Populations Section of the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA), presents the award.

“Sue Murdock pioneered automated library services for persons with print disabilities,” said Gillian Lewis and Ruth Nussbaum, award committee co-chairs. “She dedicated herself to the formation of the first integrated library system created by librarians for librarians, the non-profit consortium of libraries (CUL), and implemented the first voice activated telephone-based public access catalog for Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped patrons.”

The award will be presented during the ASCLA President’s Program, “Is Your Information Technology Accessible? Section 508 and Libraries,” on June 24, 2007, 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., during the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, DC.