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Maryland State Library’s Jill Lewis wins ASCLA award for library services to blind and physically handicapped

Read the original press release.

Jill Lewis
Jill Lewis

CHICAGO — Jill Lewis, former director of the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (MDLBPH), is the 2013 recipient of the Francis Joseph Campbell Award—an annual honor presented by the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA).

The award, which consists of a citation and a medal, is presented to a person or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of library service for the blind and physically handicapped. Keystone Library Automated Systems (KLAS) and the Southern Conference of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS/BPH) provide support for this award.

Lewis, who retired from the library in 2012, was selected for her significant impact on library services in Maryland. Under her leadership, the library developed partnerships that provided a vibrant community center to serve library users with print disabilities. The center includes adaptive technology, cultural programs and an interactive children’s reading center.

Lewis served as the director of the MDLBPH from October 2003 until her retirement in May 2012 and was previously the acting director and collection management librarian. She has also worked as a reference librarian at the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, the Library of Congress, where she conducted a study of educational reading services for individuals with print disabilities and prepared publications for the Reference Section. She earned her M.L.I.S. from the School of Library and Information Studies, The University of Alabama.

Lewis was previously recognized for her important work with the 2012 Distinguished Service Award from the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland (NFBMD) and a Governor’s Citation for Outstanding Service in May 2012. She has been active within ALA and ASCLA since the 1990s and serves on the board of the Montgomery County (Md.) Public Library.

Lewis will receive the Francis Joseph Campbell Award at the ASCLA/COSLA Reception, 5:45 – 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 29 in Field 20A-C, Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, as a part of the 2013 ALA Annual Conference. Add the event to your conference schedule. All conference attendees are invited to this networking and awards event.

ASCLA, a small, mighty and growing division of the American Library Association (ALA), is a diverse organization of librarians and support staff who work in academic and public libraries, state agencies, specialized libraries and cooperatives, as well as those who are self-employed. Our division’s work centers on member-driven interest groups that represent the diversity and important work of our engaged and active members. Learn more about ASCLA and how to join this innovative division.

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NEWS: Accessibility advocate Ruth Nussbaum wins ASCLA’s 2013 Cathleen Bourdon Service Award

Read the official ALA press release here.

Ruth Nussbaum
Ruth Nussbaum

CHICAGO – Ruth J. Nussbaum, retired reference librarian, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, is the recipient of the 2013 Cathleen Bourdon Service Award for exceptional service to and sustained leadership for the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA), a division of ALA.

The Cathleen Bourdon Service Award is presented annually to an ASCLA member whose leadership and involvement in the division has enhanced the stature, reputation and overall strength of ASCLA and has also cultivated the division’s relationship with other appropriate organizations, institutions or government agencies. In 22 years of continuous service, Nussbaum has provided mentorship and friendship both inside and outside of the ASCLA community. She has been at the front lines of library service and ASCLA activities, initiating positive changes and improvements to library services for people with disabilities. Most importantly, in all of her work, she has led by example, inspiring ASCLA colleagues and a new generation of ASCLA members

Nussbaum has an extensive record of professional involvement in ASCLA, ALA and other associations such as the American Indian Library Association. As an ASCLA member since 1990, Nussbaum has played an active part in representing the librarians serving special populations constituency of ASCLA as part of the Century Scholarship committee, a representative to the ASCLA Board of Directors, chair of the Francis Joseph Campbell Award Committee and member of the ASCLA Awards Committee, chair of the Librarians Serving Special Populations Section of ASCLA and representative to the ASCLA board. She also served as an ALA councilor-at-large from 2004-2007. She has made significant contributions to important professional documents and guidelines, including accessibility policies for both ALA and ASCLA, fact sheets, bibliographies and other publications addressing library services for people with disabilities.

Nussbaum worked as a reference librarian at the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, from 1987 through her retirement in 2012. Prior to this position, she spent time as the acquisitions library associate at the Gallaudet University Library, librarian and administrator at the Huntington Free Library and Reading Room at the Depository for the Museum of the American Indian and as a Head Start teacher in the Redhook neighborhood of Brooklyn. She earned her M.L.S. from Southern Connecticut State University.

Nussbaum will receive the ASCLA Leadership and Professional Achievement Award at the ASCLA/COSLA Reception, 5:45 – 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 29 in Field 20A-C, Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, as a part of the 2013 ALA Annual Conference. Add the event to your conference schedule. All conference attendees are invited to this networking and awards event.

ASCLA, a small, mighty and growing division of the American Library Association (ALA), is a diverse organization of librarians and support staff who work in academic and public libraries, state agencies, specialized libraries and cooperatives, as well as those who are self-employed. Our division’s work centers on member-driven interest groups that represent the diversity and important work of our engaged and active members. Learn more about ASCLA and how to join this innovative division.

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You’re invited! ASCLA/COSLA Reception at 2013 ALA Annual Conference

Come celebrate and network with the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) and the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) at the ASCLA/COSLA Reception on Saturday, June 29, 5:45-7:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place. Get the event details and specific room location in the ALA Conference Scheduler.

Why is this event so awesome, and why should you attend?

This is *the social event for ASCLA* at the ALA Annual Conference! Whether you’re a current member or you’re interested in our work with library services to people with disabilities, accessibility, state library agencies, library consultants and independent librarians, and networks, cooperatives and consortia, you are welcome to come to this event! Bring your business cards and come ready to see old friends and make new ones. ASCLA is known for being a friendly and welcoming division–come see what we mean! Add the event to your schedule now.

We’ll also be honoring our ASCLA award winners at this event:

  • Ruth J. Nussbaum, retired reference librarian, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress,will receive the 2013 Cathleen Bourdon Service Award for exceptional service to, and sustained leadership for ASCLA.
  • Jill Lewis, former director of the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, will receive the 2013 recipient of the Francis Joseph Campbell Award—an annual honor presented to a person or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of library service for the blind and physically handicapped.
  • Dr. Betsy Diamant-Cohen, executive director of Mother Goose on the Loose, LLC, and early childhood specialist at the Port Discovery Children’s Museum, Baltimore, will receive the 2013 ASCLA Leadership and Professional Achievement Award for her leadership and achievement in statewide services and programs and state library development.

This event includes hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.

We look forward to seeing you there!

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ASCLA Awards: Nomination deadline extended to Jan. 31, 2013

The Association for Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) has extended the nomination deadline to Jan. 31, 2013 for its 2013 awards which recognize projects focused on library services to people with disabilities; the advancement of library services for the blind and physically handicapped; exceptional achievement in extension and outreach services; exemplary leadership and achievement in consulting, state library services and library cooperatives; and service to ASCLA.

Each of these five prestigious awards–the Leadership and Professional Achievement Award, the Exceptional Service Award, the Cathleen Bourdon Service Award, the ASCLA/KLAS/NOD Award and the Francis Joseph Campbell Award–highlights the areas of work represented by ASCLA, a division of ALA. Most of these awards do not require ASCLA membership in order for a nominee to be considered. Click on the award names below to access the award’s webpage for more information about each award.

The ASCLA/KLAS/NOD Award is sponsored by ASCLA, the National Organization on Disability (NOD) and Keystone Systems, Inc. This $1,000 award and citation are given to a library organization that has provided services for people with disabilities. The award recognizes an innovative and well-organized project that successfully developed or expanded services for people with disabilities. The award can be for a specific service(s) program or for a library that has made its total services more accessible through changing physical and/or attitudinal barriers. Download the award nomination form(PDF).

The Francis Joseph Campbell Award honors a person or institution for outstanding and significant contributions in the field of library services to the blind with a medal and a citation. Contributions include but are not limited to: an imaginative and constructive program in a particular library; a recognized contribution to the national library program for blind persons; creative participation in library associations or organizations that advance reading for the blind; a significant publication or writing in the field; or imaginative contribution to library administration, reference, circulation, selection, acquisitions or technical services; or any activity of recognized importance. The award is sponsored by Keystone Systems, Inc. and the Southern Conference of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress.  Download the award nomination form(PDF).

The Exceptional Service Award recognizes exceptional service to patients, to persons who are homebound, to people of all ages who live in group homes or residences and to inmates, as well as to recognize professional leadership, effective interpretation of programs, pioneering activity and significant research or experimental projects. The recipient receives a citation. Download the award nomination form (PDF).

The Leadership and Professional Achievement Award is a citation presented to one or more ASCLAmembers (personal or organizational) exemplifying leadership and achievement in the following areas: consulting, library cooperation, networking, statewide services and programs and state library development. Download the award nomination form (PDF).

The Cathleen Bourdon Service Award is a citation presented to an ASCLA personal member for exceptional service and sustained leadership to the division. This includes participation in activities that have enhanced the stature, reputation and overall strength of ASCLA and have also cultivated the division’s relationship with other appropriate organizations, institutions or governmental agencies. Download the award nomination form (PDF).

Those interested in submitting a nomination may download the appropriate award nomination form(s) from theawards section of the ASCLAwebsiteor request the form(s) from Liz Markel, ASCLA marketing and programs manager, via e-mail at lmarkel@ala.org. Nominations for all awards must be received by Jan. 31, 2013. Submission information can be found on each nomination form.

ASCLA, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is a diverse organization of librarians and support staff who work in academic and public libraries, state agencies, specialized libraries and cooperatives, as well as those who are self-employed. Our division’s work centers on member-driven interest groups that represent the diversity and important work of our engaged and active members. Not an ASCLA member, but interested in forming new interest groups, receiving discounted registration rates on ASCLA preconferences and online courses, and other important membership benefits? Join, renew or add ASCLA to your ALA membership at www.ala.org/membership.

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ASCLA Awards: Nomination period now open for awards representing ASCLA’s diverse areas of library services

CHICAGO – The Association for Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) welcomes nominations for its 2013 awards which recognize projects focused on library services to people with disabilities; the advancement of library services for the blind and physically handicapped; exceptional achievement in extension and outreach services; exemplary leadership and achievement in consulting, state library services and library cooperatives; and service to ASCLA.

Each of these five prestigious awards–the Leadership and Professional Achievement Award, the Exceptional Service Award, the Cathleen Bourdon Service Award, the ASCLA/KLAS/NOD Award and the Francis Joseph Campbell Award–highlights the areas of work represented by ASCLA, a division of ALA. The nomination deadline for all awards is December 15, 2012. Click on the award names below to access each award’s webpage for more information, including nomination criteria and links to nomination forms.

The ASCLA/KLAS/NOD Award is sponsored by ASCLA, the National Organization on Disability (NOD) and Keystone Systems, Inc. This $1,000 award and citation are given to a library organization that has provided services for people with disabilities. The award recognizes an innovative and well-organized project that successfully developed or expanded services for people with disabilities. The award can be for a specific service(s) program or for a library that has made its total services more accessible through changing physical and/or attitudinal barriers. Download the award nomination form (PDF).

The Francis Joseph Campbell Award honors a person or institution for outstanding and significant contributions in this field of service with a medal and a citation. Contributions include but are not limited to: an imaginative and constructive program in a particular library; a recognized contribution to the national library program for blind persons; creative participation in library associations or organizations that advance reading for the blind; a significant publication or writing in the field; or imaginative contribution to library administration, reference, circulation, selection, acquisitions or technical services; or any activity of recognized importance. The award is sponsored by Keystone Systems, Inc. and the Southern Conference of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress.  Download the award nomination form (PDF).

The Exceptional Service Award recognizes exceptional service to patients, to persons who are homebound, to people of all ages who live in group homes or residences and to inmates, as well as to recognize professional leadership, effective interpretation of programs, pioneering activity and significant research or experimental projects. The recipient receives a citation. Download the award nomination form (PDF).

The Leadership and Professional Achievement Award is a citation presented to one or more ASCLA members (personal or organizational) exemplifying leadership and achievement in the following areas: consulting, library cooperation, networking, statewide services and programs and state library development. Download the award nomination form (PDF).

The Cathleen Bourdon Service Award is a citation presented to an ASCLA personal member for exceptional service and sustained leadership to the division. This includes participation in activities that have enhanced the stature, reputation and overall strength of ASCLA and have also cultivated the division’s relationship with other appropriate organizations, institutions or governmental agencies. Download the award nomination form (PDF).

Those interested in submitting a nomination may download the appropriate award nomination form from the awards section of the ASCLA website. Nominations for all awards must be received by Dec. 15, 2012. Submission information can be found on each nomination form.

ASCLA, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is a diverse organization of librarians and support staff who work in academic and public libraries, state agencies, specialized libraries and cooperatives, as well as those who are self-employed. Our division’s work centers on member-driven interest groups that represent the diversity and important work of our engaged and active members. Not an ASCLA member, but interested in forming new interest groups, receiving discounted registration rates on ASCLApreconferences and online courses, and other important membership benefits? Join, renew or add ASCLA to your ALA membership at www.ala.org/membership.

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ASCLA award for innovative universal access project shared by ‘Books for Dessert’ program and ‘Digital Access Project’

Read the official ALA press release.

This year’s ASCLA/KLAS/NOD Award, an annual honor presented by the Association for Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA), will be presented to two organizations that produced noteworthy services and programming for library users with disabilities: the Port Washington (N.Y.) Public Library for its “Books for Dessert” Program, and the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library and the Boston Public Library Digital Access Project.

The award is supported by ASCLA, home to accessibility issues and advocacy within ALA, Keystone Library Automation Systems (KLAS) and the National Organization for Disabilities (NOD), with the $1000 prize donated by KLAS. The award recognizes an institution for an innovative and well-organized project that successfully developed or expanded services for people with disabilities and has made its total services more accessible through changing physical and/or attitudinal barriers. Faced with an overwhelming number of outstanding award applications for 2012, the committee chose two recipients for this year’s honor. Each winner will receive a citation and split the award money, receiving $500 each.

The Port Washington Public Library’s “Books for Dessert” program makes the riches of the public library accessible to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities by sharing the joy of reading in a relaxed, social and supportive environment. Launched as a pilot program in 2003 with initial funding support from New York State, “Books for Dessert” has expanded from one group with eight participants to three groups, two evening and one morning, with about 50 participants. Program participants range in age from their early-20s to mid-60s. The club gathers once a week between September and June to read aloud from books like “The Pearl” and “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” learn vocabulary and enjoy refreshments and good conversation. At the completion of the book, a video of the same title may be shown. The group compares the book and the video, stimulating discussion and reinforcing comprehension of the material. In addition to these educational benefits, library usage has increased among registered Book Club members, as well as their friends, housemates and the agency staff driving club members to the meetings.

The “Books for Dessert” program receives support from community partners, including Community Mainstreaming Associates, Inc. and the Association for the Help of Retarded Children (AHRC), an advisory board of parents, library staff, experts in the field and certified special education teachers to bring a reading and discussion experience to adults with ID/DD. High school students also support the teachers during each session by answering questions and helping participants follow along in the book while someone else is reading. The Advisory Board has created a manual that will allow other libraries to replicate this program—more information is available by accessing “Books for Dessert” at www.pwpl.org.

“The Port Washington Public Library’s ‘Books for Dessert’ program has championed the idea that literacy for individuals over the age of 21 with intellectual and developmental disabilities is important and achievable,” said ASCLA President Norma Blake. “’Books for Dessert’ is an outstanding example of local public library innovation and ingenuity, and the library is to be commended not only for developing this highly successful program, but also for developing a program guide to help other public libraries across the nation to replicate the program in their local communities.”

The “Digital Access Project” is a collaborative activity of the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library (BTBL) and the Boston Public Library, with additional involvement from the Internet Archive of San Francisco. Through this joint initiative, patrons of the BTBL who are unable to read traditional printed text can quickly access print books available in the huge collection of the Boston Public Library within 24 hours. Access is made possible by the digital scanning of the print text in the scanning lab of the Internet Archive at the Boston Public Library, where a six-person staff uses semi-automated equipment to scan the requested book, page by page.

The file is subsequently converted into a copyright-protected DAISY (Digital Audio Information System) file that can only be accessed by eligible users of the NLSBPH (National Library Service for the Blind & Physically Handicapped) program network using a special digital key and authorized compatible digital players like the Victor Stream, the BookSense and the Bookport Plus. Within hours, the Internet Archive sends a Web link to Boston Public Library and it is forwarded back to Perkins indicating where the protected DAISY version of the book can be downloaded. Perkins staff download the book files from the provided link, and the Library then forwards the .zip file to the patron. The patron can then listen to it on their adaptive technology utilizing text-to-speech synthetic voice technology. In most cases, this process of converting a print book to an accessible DAISY file moves so efficiently that patrons receive access to the requested book within 24 hours.

“Using existing resources, the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library and the Boston Public Library, along with the Internet Archive, are successfully demonstrating both the power of collaboration and the power of technology in making print library collections accessible to people with disabilities,” said Tom Blake, digital projects manager at the Boston Public Library.

“The technology used in this innovative project not only removes barriers to print access for patrons with disabilities, it delivers the final accessible product with great speed! This type of information integration is pivotal to our fast-paced society where ready access to information is vital for success in a 21st century world,” states Kim Charlson, director of the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library.

This year’s awards will be presented at the ASCLA/COSLA Networking Party and Awards Reception, which will be held 5:30-7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 23, 2012 at one of the ALA Annual Conference hotels in Anaheim, Calif. All conference attendees are invited to this event, which will celebrate this year’s ASCLA award winners and also feature peer-to-peer networking activities. More information will be available at www.ala.org/asclain late spring.

 

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Carole Rose wins ASCLA Campbell Award for notable contributions to library services for the blind and physically handicapped

Read the official ALA press release here.

Carole Rose, who recently retired as a librarian at the Indiana Talking Book and Braille Library, is the 2012 winner of the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies’ (ASCLA) 2012 Francis Joseph Campbell Award.

The award, which includes a citation and a medal, is presented to a person or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of library service for blind and physically handicapped people. ASCLA, Keystone Automated Systems (KLAS) and the Southern Conference of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped co-sponsor this award.

Rose was selected for her significant contributions over 46 years to the advancement of library service for blind and physically handicapped people throughout the state of Indiana, and also for her outstanding advocacy on behalf of the Indiana low vision community. The award also recognizes Rose’s dedicated leadership in creating Indiana Talking Book & Braille Library programs that embraced change and positively touched the lives of generations of Hoosiers with vision loss.

Rose also played a crucial role as editor (1978-2011) of both Indiana Insights, the Indiana Talking Book & Braille Library newsletter; and IN Touch, a newsletter dedicated to teachers and parents of students with disabilities. These publications have become the most valuable medium of communication for the Indiana Talking Book & Braille Library and were crucial to promoting and advocating the new digital player from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLSBPH). The copious articles she has written for both in-house and other state and national low-vision communiqué have contributed to Indiana’s success in  moving over 80 percent of its Talking Books patrons from the old cassette player to the new digital player.

“Carole embodies many of the qualities and characteristics recognized by the ASCLA Francis Joseph Campbell Award,” said Norma Blake, ASCLA president. Her “contributions to the advancement of library service for blind and physically handicapped people” are unparalleled in Indiana history, according to her State Library colleagues.

Rose served as a librarian at the Indiana Talking Book and Braille Library from 1965 until her retirement in 2011. Since 1972, she coordinated the library’s summer reading program. She also served as coordinator for the Indiana Vision Expo, the largest low-vision tradeshow in the Midwest, from 2006-2011. She was a grant writer for two successful grants: $950,000 from the Ruth Lilly Philanthropic Foundation to support the recording of books and magazine articles with Indiana connections; and a $2,000 Choose Children grant from Alpha Xi Delta Foundation to expand the large print and Braille book collections.

Rose will receive her award at the ASCLA/COSLA Networking Party and Awards Reception, which will be held 5:30-7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 23, 2012 at one of the ALA Annual Conference hotels in Anaheim, Calif. All conference attendees are invited to this event, which will celebrate this year’s ASCLA award winners and also feature peer-to-peer networking activities. More information will be available at www.ala.org/ascla in late spring.

 

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New Jersey State Library’s Moeller-Peiffer honored with Cathleen Bourdon Service Award for contributions to ASCLA

Read the official ALA press release here.

Kathleen Moeller-Peiffer, associate state librarian, New Jersey State Library, is the 2012 recipient of the Cathleen Bourdon Service Award, an annual achievement award given by the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA), a division of the American Library Association.

The award, which is named for former ASCLA Executive Director Cathleen Bourdon, is presented to an ASCLA personal member for exceptional service and sustained leadership to the division. This includes participation in activities that have enhanced the stature, reputation and overall strength of ASCLA and have also cultivated the division’s relationship with other appropriate organizations, institutions or government agencies.

As an ASCLA member, Moeller-Peiffer has worked tirelessly on programs and activities that inform and strengthen the professional contributions of ASCLA and its members in the community at large and within ALA. As a part of ASCLA’s Legislative Advocacy Committee and ALA’s Advocacy Coordinating Group, she has communicated with policy makers at all levels of government on the value and strength of libraries. Through her role on ALA’s E-rate Task Force she has conveyed to federal officials the concerns of libraries and schools on the discounted telecommunication rate program.

Moeller-Peiffer has also strengthened ASCLA as an organization through her service as chair of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Coordinators Group and chair of ASCLA’s State Library Agency Section (SLAS), and her membership on numerous committees, forums and programs. During her time as chair of ASCLA’s Membership Committee, she developed the Value Proposition Report that analyzed the benefits of ASCLA membership and developed proposals for promoting and expanding membership.

Moeller-Peiffer will receive her award at the ASCLA/COSLA Networking Party and Awards Reception, which will be held 5:30-7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 23, 2012 at one of the ALA Annual Conference hotels in Anaheim, Calif. All conference attendees are invited to this event, which will celebrate this year’s ASCLA award winners and also feature peer-to-peer networking activities. More information will be available at www.ala.org/ascla in late spring.

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Washington State Library’s Laura Sherbo receives leadership award from ASCLA

Read the official ALA press release here.

Laura Sherbo, branch library services program manager at the Washington State Library, is the 2012 recipient of the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) Leadership and Professional Achievement Award – an annual award presented to an ASCLA member who exemplifies leadership and achievement in consulting, library cooperation, networking, statewide service and programs and/or state library development.

According to her colleagues at the Washington State Library and leaders of institutional libraries in the State of Washington, Sherbo has accomplished miracles in the world of library services for incarcerated populations with her tenacity, her calm and focused negotiation and strategic communication skills.  Her leadership skills and her efforts to foster collaboration and engineer change have helped maintain a high level of service and staff performance even in the face of seemingly insurmountable changes. For two decades, the Institutional Services Division of the Washington State Library has endured budget cuts that laid off staff and closed branches. Despite these challenges, Sherbo inspired her team to re-prioritize library functions to meet the most critical needs of those institutionalized in correctional facilities, including uniformity of branch library procedures and an emphasis on collection development in parenting, substance abuse recovery, job training and employment.

During her tenure, Sherbo has also encouraged her staff to pursue training and projects that would benefit host institutions and library services. This encouragement has produced presentations at library conferences, visiting institutional services librarians, volunteering at host institutions for reading programs and historical preservation efforts, a library-sponsored book club and a pilot law library program. Under her leadership, Sherbo’s division team has achieved goals that exemplify the Library Bill of Rights, including privacy protection and access to interests, information from various viewpoints and enlightenment for all persons of the library community. For her successful efforts, she is well respected by the prison administrators and among the offender populations served by the libraries.

“Laura Sherbo has dedicated her professional career to ensuring that inmates of correctional centers and patients at two state hospitals receive the highest quality library services,” said ASCLA President Norma Blake. “Because of her inspirational leadership, libraries flourish in Washington’s major prisons.”

Sherbo earned her MLS from Western Michigan University. She worked as the head librarian at Logan Correctional Center, Lincoln, Ill. (1978-82) and subsequently as a librarian and branch manager at McNeil Island Corrections Center, McNeil Island, Wash. until 2002, when she took on her current role as branch library services program manager.

Sherbo will receive her award at the ASCLA/COSLA Networking Party and Awards Reception, which will be held 5:30-7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 23, 2012 at one of the ALAAnnual Conference hotels in Anaheim, Calif. All conference attendees are invited to this event, which will celebrate this year’s ASCLA award winners and also feature peer-to-peer networking activities. More information will be available at www.ala.org/ascla in late spring.

 

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Kathleen Hegarty named 2012 winner of ASCLA Exceptional Service Award

Read the official press release from ALA here.

The Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) will posthumously honor Kathleen Hegarty, Boston Public Library (retired), with the 2012 ASCLA Exceptional Service Award.

The ASCLA Exceptional Service Award is a citation presented to recognize exceptional service to patients, to the homebound, to people of all ages who live in group homes or residences and to inmates, as well as to recognize professional leadership, effective interpretation of programs, pioneering activity and significant research of experimental projects. Hegarty was notified of winning the award prior to her death on Jan. 28, 2012.Read her American Libraries Magazine obituary here.

Hegarty earned her MLS from Simmons College. She spent the duration of her library career at Boston Public Library, where she served as the coordinator of adult services (1962-74), staff officer for programs and public relations (1974-85) and the founder and director of the Access Center for People with Disabilities from 1985 until her retirement in 1999. An active member of ASCLA and LSSPS since 1985, Hegarty served as chair of many Division and Section committees and forums, as well as chair of the Task Force on Libraries Serving Special Populations Section (LSSPS) Bylaws, and was one of the founding committee members of the ASCLA Century Scholarship. She was most recently elected as ASCLA Secretary.

Hegarty left her mark on BPL and the library community with her innovative and groundbreaking services and programs. Making creative use of federal Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) funds, she forged numerous new cutting-edge services for special populations during her tenure at Boston Public Library, including the “Homesmobile” library services to nursing homes and the homebound, which continues to operate to this day. She also served as director of the Boston Public Library’s NEHLearning Library, the first such learning library in the United States. For more than 30 years she coordinated special programs and services which included weekly educational programs for older adults.

“Kathleen’s pioneering efforts at the Boston Public Library and her dedication to improving services for older adults and persons with disabilities has insured continued leadership, professional growth and sustainability within the profession,” said Norma Blake, ASCLApresident. “She also worked tirelessly to enhance the stature, reputation and overall strength of ASCLA, and we are so grateful for her investment in our organization.”

Hegarty will be honored at the ASCLA/COSLA Networking Party and Awards Reception, which will be held 5:30-7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 23, 2012 at one of the ALA Annual Conference hotels in Anaheim, Calif. All conference attendees are invited to this event, which will celebrate this year’s ASCLA award winners and also feature peer-to-peer networking activities. More information will be available at www.ala.org/ascla in late spring.