ALA announces White House Conference on Library and Information Services Award winner

Contact: Jenni Terry


Press Officer


ALA Washington Office


202-628-8410


jterry@alwash.org

NEWS


For Immediate Release,


May 8, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The American Library Association (ALA) today announced that Stephen Flynn, a student employee at the Mudd Library at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis., is the winner of the 2009 White House Conference on Library and Information Services Taskforce (WHCLIST) Award. The annual award, given to a non-librarian participating in National Library Legislative Day (NLLD) for the first time, is $300 stipend granted to help reduce the cost of attending the event.

During this year’s NLLD, to be held May 11 and 12, approximately 400 librarians and library supporters from across the country will gather in the nation’s capital to meet with members of Congress to discuss key library issues.

“As a first-time NLLD attendee and first time visitor to our nation's capital, I look forward to doing all I can to make sure that American libraries receive the support that they need to provide first-class information services to millions of Americans and their communities,” Flynn said.

“The WHCLIST Award has not only made traveling to NLLD easier, it has also given me an added sense of responsibility to do my very best to advocate for libraries to our congressional representatives.”

WHCLIST, an effective force in library advocacy nationally, statewide and locally, turned its assets over to the ALA Washington Office after the last conference was held in 1991 in order to transmit the spirit of committed, passionate library support to a new generation of advocates. Leading up to NLLD each year, the ALA seeks nominations for the award. Representatives of WHCLIST and the ALA Washington office choose the recipient.

Emily Sheketoff, executive director of the ALA Washington Office, said Stephen’s nomination letter submitted by Pete Gilbert, University Librarian of Lawrence University, described Flynn as the ideal candidate for the award.

“Stephen’s commitment to library services in his current position and his plans to pursue graduate work in library and information sciences will enable him to be the fresh voice libraries need – now and in the future,” Sheketoff said.