PATHFINDERS of the Information Odyssey - Special Libraries Assoc Awards and Honors Program

Information Outlook, June, 2001

The SLA Professional Award is presented to an individual or group who may or may not hold membership in the Association, in recognition of major achievements in, or a specific significant contribution to, the field of librarianship or information science. This year's award is presented to:

Eric A. Brewer, Professor, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA. Brewer is recognized for his significant contributions to the library field through the development of FirstGov.gov, a United States Government Internet portal created to improve access to public information for U.S. citizens.

The Rose L. Vormelker Award is given to an SLA member recognized for exceptional service to the profession of special librarianship via mentoring students and/or practicing professionals in the field. This year's recipient is Judith J. Field, Senior Lecturer, Library and Information Science Program, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA. Field is recognized for her lifelong dedication to educating students in the library science field and her enthusiasm and commitment to mentoring.

The Honorary Member Award is given to non-members of SLA, who demonstrate a commitment to the information profession. This year's honorary membership goes to Dr. Anthony Oettinger, the Gordon McKay Professor of Applied Mathematics and Professor of Information Resources Policy at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Dr. Oettinger is recognized for his extraordinary involvement in the field of information and technology throughout his career.

The Innovations in Technology Award recognizes information professionals for their innovative use and application of technology in a special library setting. This year's winner is Susan Fifer Canby, Director of Library and Indexing for the National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, USA. Canby is recognized for her pivotal role in the development and formation of the National Geographic Society intranet.

The H.W. Wilson Company Award is presented to authors of outstanding articles published in Information Outlook, SLA's monthly magazine. This year's award goes to Helene Kassler, author of "Competitive Intelligence on the Internet--Going for the Gold," which was published in the February 2000 issue. The article centers on recent web arrivals and search techniques that provide unique or highly valuable competitive intelligence.

The Public Relations Media Award recognizes journalists who have published outstanding features on the profession of special librarianship. This year's award goes to Jennifer Arend for her outstanding article "Bits, Bytes to Replace Paperbacks," published in the April 9, 2000-edition of the Arlington Morning News, Arlington, Texas, USA. The article highlights the changing landscape of the library profession in the new millennium.

The winners of this year's SLA Awards and Honors were selected by the SLA Awards and Honors Committee, which is chaired by L. Susan Hayes of Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA. The winners were announced by SLA President Donna W. Scheeder at SLA's Winter Meeting, held January 25-27, 2001 in Savannah, Georgia, USA.