2003 RUSA Award Recipients
Awards are listed in the order of establishment, with the oldest awards listed first.
The Dartmouth Medal
  Elizabeth Sheehan from Garland holds medal with committee representative, Jack O'Gorman.
The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, published from 1977-2002 by Routledge, a member of the Taylor & Francis Group, is the 2003 recipient of the Dartmouth Medal. The medal, donated by Dartmouth College and presented by RUSA, is given for creating current reference works of outstanding quality and significance.
“This unique and thoroughly researched resource provides a dynamic and in depth perspective on world music,” said Teresa Portilla Omidsalar, award committee chair. “It strikes a balance between wonderful illustrations and comprehensive, scholarly entries. Each regional volume includes a CD sampler of that region’s music. This source will have wide appeal to both the novice and expert.”
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BRASS Thomson Financial Student Travel Award
 David Gulliams and committee chair, Sharmon Kenyon.
David W. Guilliams, library clerk, business and technology section, Wichita (Kan.) Public Library, is the recipient of the 2003 Business Reference and Services Section (BRASS) Thomson Financial Student Travel Award. BRASS presents the award to the candidate who has demonstrated an interest in pursuing a career as a business reference librarian and the potential to be a leader in the profession. A cash award of $1,000 is donated by Thomson Financial, part of the Thomson Corporation, to enable a student enrolled in an American Library Association (ALA) -accredited master's program to attend the ALA Annual Conference.
“The travel award committee is pleased to support a paraprofessional applicant who is interested in pursuing a career as a business librarian in the public library community,” said Sharmon H. Kenyon, the award committee chair. “He is also our first distance education award winner.”
Guilliams is a student at Emporia State University who will complete his degree in December 2003.
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The Gale Group Award for Excellence in Business Librarianship
  Patricia Kenly (chair), Anne Mintz, recipient, and Mary Elln Bohrer, Gale Group representative.
Anne P. Mintz, director of Knowledge Management, Forbes, Inc., is the recipient of the 2003 Gale Group Award for Excellence in Business Librarianship administered by RUSA BRASS. The award, a citation and $3,000 donated by The Gale Group, is given to an individual for distinguished activities in the field of business librarianship.
“Anne P. Mintz has demonstrated an outstanding record of both service and research,” stated Patricia Kenly, award committee chair. “To quote a colleague, ‘In each of the past three decades she has written award winning and influential articles.’ Her exceptional contributions to the profession include the recent book, Web of Deception: Misinformation on the Internet, which she edited.”
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The Gale Group Award for Excellence in Reference and Adult Library Services
 Mark Ellis and Tung Chan, recipients, with Mary Ellen Bohrer, Gale Group representative.
The Richmond (British Columbia) Public Library is the 2003 recipient of the Gale Group Award for Excellence in Reference and Adult Services, a $3,000 award and a citation for developing an imaginative and unique library resource to meet patrons' reference needs.
"Richmond Public Library has created a collection of unique online interactive resources aimed at helping adult citizens, prospective citizens and children within their community and beyond to locate specific, practical information or to provide practice to reach specific goals," stated Betty A. Gard, chair of the award committee.
“The following three interactive resources help the library meet patrons’ needs in pragmatic, relevant ways: ‘Canadian Citizen Practice Test;’ ‘BC (British Columbia) Practice Driving Test;’ and ‘Speak, Read, Succeed Interactive Checklist.’ All three resources are accessible online from home or office at any time, or online at the library.”
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Genealogical Publishing Company/History Section Award
  Raymond Wright (chair) and Charles Cummings, recipient.
Charles F. Cummings, assistant director of the Newark Public Library, Newark, New Jersey, is the 2003 recipient of the Genealogical Publishing Co./History Section Award presented by RUSA. The award, $1,500 and a citation donated by The Genealogical Publishing Company, is given to encourage, recognize and commend professional achievement in historical reference and research librarianship.
“During more than twenty-five years of service, Charles F. Cummings has provided leadership on the national and local levels to history librarians and set an example by producing reference works and contributing a regular column, “Knowing Network,” to the Star-Ledger of Newark,” stated Raymond Wright, award committee chair. “He has served as chair of the History Section, History Section Local History Committee and Bibliography and Indexes Committees.”
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Margaret E. Monroe Library Adult Services Award
 Miriam Pollack, assistant director for the North Suburban Library System, Wheeling, Ill., is the 2003 recipient of the Margaret E. Monroe Library Adult Services Award administered by RUSA. This annual citation, named for Margaret E. Monroe, is presented to a librarian who has made a significant contribution to and an impact on library service to adults. Monroe, professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is nationally known for her contributions to teaching, research and service in the field of library services to adults.
“Miriam Pollack was selected because of her many contributions to the library profession and her commitment to education for adults,” said Eugenia D. Bryant, chair of the award committee. “On the local, system and state level Pollack operates as a change agent in the North Suburban Library System working with librarians, helping them engage and move into the future by planning a varied continuing educational schedule. She exemplifies leadership, innovation and creativity in each of her professional endeavors and in every way has achieved her dream of inspiring adults to learn at the library. Her enthusiasm and willingness to pave new programmatic pathways to lifelong learning is an inspiration to all who work with her.”
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Isadore Gilbert Mudge–R. R. Bowker Award
 Martin Sable, professor emeritus of the School of Library and Information Studies, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, is the recipient of the 2003 Isadore Gilbert Mudge-R.R. Bowker Award presented by RUSA. The award of $5,000 and a citation, donated by R.R. Bowker, recognizes distinguished contributions to reference librarianship. It is named for Isadore Gilbert Mudge who was a reference librarian, a bibliographer at Columbia University in New York and author of the 1917 revision of the Guide to the Study and Use of Reference Books.
“Dr. Sable’s outstanding research and scholarship has focused on documenting and providing access to the groups outside the mainstream whose record might otherwise be lost,” said Richard Bleiler, award committee chair. “His many groundbreaking publications include numerous bibliographies listing the resources available for the study of the people and cultures in Central and South Latin America. His research has led him to compile works on such varied subjects as the Kennedy family, urbanization, industrial espionage, exobiology and holocaust studies.”
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Reference Service Press Award
 Kimberely Lione Paone, teen services librarian, Elizabeth Public Library, Elizabeth, New Jersey, and Mark Winston, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Library and Information Science, School of Communication, Information, and Library Studies, Rutgers University, are the 2003 recipients of the Reference Service Press Award for their article “Reference and Information Services for Young Adults: A Research Study of Public Libraries in New Jersey,” presented by RUSA. The award, a plaque and $2,500 donated by Reference Service Press, is given to the author of the most outstanding article published in Reference and User Services Quarterly (RUSQ), RUSA's quarterly journal, during the preceding two-volume years. The article can be found on the RUSQ Web site.
“This article is impressive, well thought out, based on excellent research, and well written,” stated Lynn K. Chmelir, award committee chair. “It assesses issues of considerable importance to young adult librarians by describing an innovative approach to assessing the quality of reference and information services provided to young adult patrons.”
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John Sessions Memorial Award
  Tony Sarmiento (AFL-CIO) and Sejan Yun, Saint Paul Public Library.
The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, a private non-profit membership organization established in 1945 to support the Saint Paul Public Library, is the 2003 recipient of the John Sessions Memorial Award presented by RUSA. The award is named in honor of John Sessions, former American Federation of Labor/Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) co-chair of the AFL-CIO/ALA Joint Committee on Library Service to Labor Groups. The plaque, supported by a donation from the AFL-CIO, is given to recognize a library or library system that has made a significant effort to work with the labor community and by doing so has brought recognition to the history and contribution of the labor movement to the development of the United States.
“Since 1998, the Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library have designed and implemented an annual series of programs that focus on labor topics and history,” said Harriet Gottfried, chair of the award committee. “Through author readings, lectures, film, drama, tour and special events, the community and labor organizations have been brought together. This innovative programming is responsible for a renewed interest in the history and contributions of labor. In addition, the Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library have contributed to the purchase of new labor and labor history-related materials for the Saint Paul Library.”
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Louis Shores–Greenwood Publishing Group Award
 Diane Holzheimer, librarian, Memorial-Spaulding Elementary School, Newton, Mass., is the 2003 recipient of the Louis Shores–Greenwood Publishing Group Award. The cash award of $3,000 and a citation is donated by Greenwood Publishing Group and is given to an individual, team or organization to recognize excellence in the reviewing of books and other materials for libraries. Established in 1990, the award is named for Louis Shores, editor-in-chief of Colliers Encyclopedia from 1960 to 1981, and dean of the Florida State University Library School from 1946 to 1967. Shores was one of the first and most influential advocates of the use of bibliographic instruction in universities, believing that the library serves as the center of instruction for the academic community.
“Diane Holzheimer was chosen for her years of dedication and creativity in reviewing science books for youth,” said Pam Harris, chair of the award committee. “She began reviewing books for the journal Appraisal: Science Books for Young People in 1973 and became editor in 1976.”
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Bessie Boehm Moore-Thorndike Press Award
  Diana Shonrock (chair), Jacqueline Ayala, recipient, and Mary Ellen Bohrer, Gale Group representative.
The San Diego County Library “Books-By-Mail” Service is the recipient of the 2003 Bessie Boehm Moore–Thorndike Press Award administered by the Management and Operation of User Services Section (MOUSS) of RUSA. The award is presented to a library organization that has developed an outstanding and creative program for library service to the aging. The award, $1,000 donated by the Thorndike Press and a citation of achievement, is presented to a library organization that has developed an outstanding and creative program for library service to the aging. The award is named for Bessie Boehm Moore, an educator, civic leader and friend of libraries who received an Honorable Membership from the American Library Association (ALA) in recognition for her work with libraries.
“San Diego County Library ‘Books-By-Mail’ Service is not just a service, it is a commitment shared by the San Diego County Library, their friends and the greater community to provide service to a population that would not be reached by other means,” stated Award Committee Chair JoAnn Radioli. “It also has demonstrated the potential for even greater, well-planned growth for the future.”
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Virginia Boucher-OCLC Distinguished ILL Librarian Award
 Mary A. Hollerich, associate director for access services, Pritzker Legal Research Center, Northwestern University, is the 2003 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 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.
“Mary Hollerich is dedicated to the support of interlibrary loan as an integral part of library services,” stated Franca C. Rosen, chair of the award committee. “She is an interlibrary loan activist who, through her commitments and contacts with professional associations, promotes the full potential of interlibrary loan services to libraries and their administrators. Her leadership has brought attention to the need for better training, technological innovations and organization commitment to ensure the most effective sharing of resources to best serve the needs of library patrons.”
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Dun & Bradstreet Public Librarian Support Award
 Bryce Thornton, business reference assistant, Hoover (Ala.) Public Library, is the recipient of the 2003 Dun & Bradstreet Public Librarian Support Award presented by RUSA BRASS. The citation and $1,000 travel award is sponsored by Dun & Bradstreet to support attendance at the ALA Annual Conference of a business librarian who works in a public library. The award is based on service to the community and on demonstration of need.
“Bryce Thornton has been an essential part of his library’s successful partnership with the business community in Hoover as he helped create and develop the Business/Law area of a newly expanded library,” stated Award Committee Chair Susan Wolf Neilson. “He implements important programs for the community in subjects such as small business, career planning and using business resources. Thornton is an active member of his community’s Chamber of Commerce and provides outreach programs to organizations and clubs in the area.”
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Dun & Bradstreet Award for Outstanding Service to Minority Business Communities
 Cynthia Churchwell (chair) and Kay Cassell, New York Public Library, Staten Island burough.
The New York Public Library’s St. George Library Center is the 2003 recipient of the Dun & Bradstreet Award for Outstanding Service to Minority Business Communities. The award is sponsored by Dun & Bradstreet and presented by the RUSA BRASS. The award, $2,000 and a citation, is given to a librarian or library that has created an innovative service for a minority business community, or has been recognized by that community as an outstanding service provider. Minority business is defined as Hispanics, African Americans, Asians, Native Americans, or people from the Indian Subcontinent, as classified by the U. S. Government for minority owned businesses.
“The New York Public Library’s St. George Library Center is recognized for creating and presenting educational programs, conducting collection development projects, and providing staff training to strengthen and promote access to business information resources on Staten Island, home to many minority and immigrant groups,” stated Cynthia Churchwell, award committee chair.
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