Misplaced Pages

ALA Medal of Excellence

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
American Library Association award

The ALA Medal of Excellence is an annual award bestowed by the American Library Association for recent creative leadership of high order, particularly in the fields of library management, library training, cataloging and classification, and the tools and techniques of librarianship. It was first awarded in 1953 to Ralph R. Shaw, Director of the National Agriculture Library.

The award name was changed in 2020 from the Melvil Dewey Medal to the ALA Medal of Excellence.

Loida Garcia-Febo - ALA Medal of Excellence, 2024
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, ALA Medal of Excellence, 2017
James G. Neal -ALA Medal of Excellence, 2009
Ralph Robert Shaw - ALA Medal of Excellence, 1953

List of recipients

ALA Medal of Excellence (formerly Melvil Dewey Medal) Date Major Accomplishments
Loida Garcia-Febo 2024 President, American Library Association, President, REFORMA, International librarianship consultant.
Kelvin Watson 2023 “Achievement for recent creative leadership of high order" as Executive Director, Las Vegas-Clark County Library District
Judith Cannan 2022 Library of Congress-Chief, Policy, Training and Cooperative Programs Division for "Spearheading: the transition from AACR2 to Resource Description and Access, move of original RDA to new Tool Kit, from MARC to linked data, -- the most monumental achievements in cataloging in recent decades.”
No Award 2021
No Award 2020
Award Name Changed 2020 The American Library Association Council voted at the 2019 Annual Conference to remove the name of American Library Association cofounder Melvil Dewey from the Melvil Dewey Medal citing his well-documented history of racism, anti- Semitism. and sexual harassment.
June Garcia 2019 Developed international Network of Emerging Library Innovators of Gates’ Foundation's Global Libraries, Director San Antonio Public Library
Carla J. Stoffle 2018 Dean of Libraries and Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona, Joseph W. Lippincott Award.
Carla Hayden 2017 Librarian of Congress
Robert R. Newlen 2016 Chief of staff at the Library of Congress
Hwa-Wei Lee 2015 Ohio University Libraries, Hwa-Wei Lee Center for International Collections
Robert A. Wolven 2014 Digital Content and Libraries Working Group, Library of Congress’ Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control, HathiTrust
Beacher J.E. Wiggins 2013 Historic merger of acquisitions and cataloging functions Library of Congress; U.S. National Libraries RDA Test Coordinating Committee; New Bibliographic Framework Initiative Library of Congress Bicentennial Conference on Bibliographic Control for the New Millennium.
Beverly P. Lynch 2012 Training dozens library leaders as director of the UCLA Senior Fellows program; founding director of the California Rare Book School, chair of ALA's International Relations Committee, founder of the US-China Librarians’ conference series.
Deanna B. Marcum 2011 Creation of Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control at Library of Congress, President of the Council on Library and Information Resources
Brian E.C. Schottlaender 2010 President, Association of Research Libraries
James G. Neal 2009 Advisor to U.S. delegation at the World Intellectual Property Organization U.S. Copyright Office 108 Study Group.
Sandra Nelson 2008 Public Library Association Results series, public library development.
Sarah Thomas 2007 Bodley's Librarian and Director of the Bodleian Libraries.
John D. Byrum 2006 Library of Congress, Chief Regional and Cooperative Cataloging Division, Program for Cooperative Cataloging.
Joan S. Mitchell 2005 Editor of the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) system.
Sally H. McCallum 2004 Chief of Network Development and MARC Standards Office Library of Congress.
David A. Smith 2003 Chief of the decimal classification division at the Library of Congress.
James F. Williams II 2002 Founding member and creator of SPARC the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition.
Herman L. Totten 2001 Regents professor and associate dean for the school of library and information sciences at the University of North Texas.
Paul Sybrowsky 2000 Cofounder of Dynix, founder of Snowbird Institute, Ameritech Library Services, President of the board of trustees for the Provo City Library.
Helen Moeller 1999 Director of the LeRoy Collins Leon County Public Library, FL.
Winston Tabb 1998 Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) at the Library of Congress
Robert Wedgeworth 1997 Executive Director, American Library Association, Dean of the School of Library Service at Columbia University Director at the University of Illinois Library—working toward the improvement of library services through adoption of the information technology of the day.
No Awards 1996-1997
Frank Phillips Grisham 1994 Executive director of SOLINET, Director, Vanderbilt University Library
No Award 1993
Michael Gorman 1992 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules; Our Enduring Values: Librarianship in the 21st Century.
Lucia J. Rather 1991 Director for Cataloging at Library of Congress, developed the character set of diacritical marks and special characters used with the MARC format.
Helen Schmierer“ 1990 Greatest contribution to protocols of AACR2. Major contributor to Joint Steering Committee for Revision of AACR, systems/planning analyst, Brown University Library.
Robert R. McClarren 1989 “Toward Cooperative Collection Development in the Illinois Library and Information Network.” Robert R. McClarren Legislative Development Award.
Herbert Goldhor 1988 An Introduction to Scientific Research in Librarianship,Research Methods in Librarianship: Measurement and Evaluation. Served in Europe in World War II.
Herbert S. White 1987 Managing the Special Library: Strategies for Success Within the Larger Organization., Executive Director of NASA Scientific and Technical Information Facility.
Richard De Gennaro 1986 "Library automation & networking: perspectives on three decades." Research Libraries Enter the Information Age.
Joseph H. Howard 1985 Chief, Library of Congress Descriptive cataloging division
Warren J. Haas 1984 President Council on Library Resources
Edward G. Holley 1983 Dean UNC School of Information and Library Science,
Sarah K. Vann 1982 Field survey of Dewey Decimal Classification System Use Abroad.
Henriette Avram 1981 Developed MARC format (Machine Readable Cataloging), Associate Librarian for Collections Services, Library of Congress.
Robert D. Stueart 1980 Information Needs of the 80s: Libraries and Information Services Role in “Bringing Information to People
Russell Bidlack 1979 Historical Background of the A.L.A. Catalog.
Frederick G. Kilgour 1978 President of OCLC
Seymour Lubetzky 1977 Cataloging theorist ranked among the greatest minds in library science.
Louis Round Wilson 1976 Dean, University of Chicago Graduate Library School
No Award 1975
Robert B. Downs 1974 "creative professional achievement of a high order"
Virginia Lacy Jones 1973 "for creative professional achievements of high order." Dean, Atlanta University School of Library Sciences,
Jerrold Orne 1972 Chaired Z39 Committee, precursor to National Information Standards Organization
William J. Welsh 1971 Deputy Librarian of Congress, major role in renovation Jefferson Building, development of deacidification process, pilot project optical disk technology.
Joseph H. Treyz 1970 Books for College Libraries
William S. Dix 1969 Primary author of The Freedom to Read statement.
Jesse H. Shera 1968 "Professional creative achievement."
Walter Herbert Kaiser 1967 "Statistical Trends of Large Public Libraries."
Lucile M. Morsch 1966 Deputy Chief Assistant Librarian of Congress, Rules for Descriptive Cataloging in the Library of Congress
Bertha Margaret Frick 1965 Editor, Sears' List of Subject Headings for H.W. Wilson, member Dewey Decimal Editorial Policy Committee, professor Columbia University.
John W. Cronin 1964 Director, processing department Library of Congress, also chief of the Card Division. Supervised editing of original 167-volume Catalog of Books Represented by Library of Congress Printed Cards.
Frank Bradway Rogers 1963 Director of the National Library of Medicine, Laid foundation for MEDLARS, Director of the Armed Forces Medical Library.
Leon Carnovsky 1962 "For long standing achievement as editor, author, teacher and consultant in bibliographical matters."
Julia C. Pressey 1961 Head, Office for D.C. numbers. Library of Congress
Harriet E. Howe 1960 “The Library School Curriculum.”
Benjamin A. Custer 1959 Editor, Dewey Decimal Classification, Chief of the Decimal Classification Division, Library of Congress.
Janet S. Dickson 1958 Chairman of the Advisory Committee on the Decimal Classification
Wyllis E. Wright 1957 "A librarian's librarian," Wright was President, Association of College and Research Libraries.Chairman, Joint Committee on the Union List of Serials, the DCC Board on Cataloging Policy and Research, the Catalog Code Revision Committees; and editor of Catalogers' and Classifier's Yearbook, and American Library Annual."Invaluable contributions to the evolution of the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules. Librarian at Williams College.
Norah Albanell MacColl 1956 Sistema De Clasificación Decimal Dewey : Tablas E Índice Alfabético Auxiliar
Maurice Tauber 1955 Developer of technical services units and how they evolved in the 20th century. Professor at Columbia University.
Herman H. Fussler 1954 Director, University of Chicago libraries, Dean, University of Chicago Graduate Library School, helped create the Center for Research Libraries.U.S. National Advisory Commission on Libraries.
Ralph R. Shaw 1953 Director, U.S. National Agricultural Library, Dean, Rutgers University Department of Library and Information Science, Founder, Scarecrow Press

References

  1. ALA Medal of Excellence. American Library Association.
  2. Albanese, Andrew (2019-06-24). "ALA Votes to Strip Melvil Dewey's Name From Its Top Honor". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2020-02-27.
  3. Loida Garcia-Febo to receive ALA Medal of Excellence Award. American Library Association, April 8, 2024.
  4. Kelvin Watson Wins ALA Medal of Excellence Award American Library Association, April 24, 2023.
  5. Judith Cannan wins ALA Medal of Excellence Award American Library Association, April 29, 2022.
  6. Wiegand, Wayne A. (1996). Irrepressible reformer: a biography of Melvil Dewey. Chicago: American Library Association.
  7. “Dewey Medal Name to Change.” 2020. American Libraries 51 (1/2): 30.
  8. June Garcia wins Melvil Dewey Award. American Library Association, March 12, 2019.
  9. Carla J. Stoffle wins 2018 Melvil Dewey Medal American Library Association, May 7, 2018.
  10. Carla Hayden receives the 2017 Melvil Dewey Medal American Library Association. May 20, 2017.
  11. Robert Newlen receives the Melvil Dewey Medal American Library Association, February 20, 2015.
  12. Hwa-Wei Lee receives the Melvil Dewey Medal.American Library Association, February 20, 2015.
  13. Ohio University Libraries mourns the passing of Dean Emeritus Dr. Hwa-Wei Lee Ohio University. January 12, 2024.
  14. Robert Wolven receives the Melvil Dewey Medal American Library Association, February 25, 2014
  15. Wiggins, Beacher. “Managing Cataloging and Cataloging Operations-2000 and Beyond at the Library of Congress.” Cataloging & Classification Quarterly 30, no. 1 (2000): 3–17.
  16. Beverly P. Lynch receives the 2012 Melvil Dewey Medal Award American Library Association, March 22, 2012.
  17. Deanna B. Marcum receives the 2011 Melvil Dewey Medal Award American Library Association, March 22, 2011
  18. Groves, Kaylyn (2022-08-29). "Memorial: Deanna Bowling Marcum, 1946–2022". Association of Research Libraries. Retrieved 2022-09-14.
  19. Layne, Sara Shatford. 1999. “Brian E. C. Schottlaender: Politics and Philosophy of Bibliographic Control, a Conversation.” Cataloging & Classification Quarterly 28 (4): 71–89.
  20. 2008 Melvil Dewey Medal Award recipient named American Library Association, May 15, 2008.
  21. Nelson Sandra S and Public Library Association. 2008. Strategic Planning for Results. Chicago: American Library Association.
  22. "About Sarah E. Thomas". University of Oxford. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
  23. Byrum to Receive Melvil Dewey Medal Library of Congress, Information Bulletin May 2006.
  24. Joan cleans up at the Deweys025.431 The Dewey BlogJune 30, 2005.
  25. Award Winners Tillett and McCallum Receive ALA Honors Library of Congress, Information Bulletin July 2004.
  26. Smith receives the 2003 Melvil Dewey Medal
  27. Williams receives the 2002 Melvil Dewey Medal. American Library Association, April 2002
  28. Totten receives the 2001 Melvil Dewey Medal American Library Association, May 2001
  29. Brey, Carol, Robert R. Newlen, and Herman L. Totten. 2003. “Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Vote in the Election This Spring.” College & Research Libraries News 64 (3): 182–88.
  30. Paul Sybrowsky, Co-Founder of Dynix, Inc., Dies at Age 70 September 11, 2014
  31. Southeastern Librarian. Awards. Spring, 1999
  32. Winston Tabb to Receive Melvil Dewey Medal Library of Congress, April 8, 1998.
  33. ALA Melvil Dewey Medal recipient named IFLAnet, August 1997.
  34. Memorial: Frank Phillips Grisham, 1928–2020 Association of Research Libraries, November 12, 2020.
  35. Gorman, M. (2000). Our Enduring Values: Librarianship in the 21st Century. ALA Editions.
  36. “1991 ALA Awards Winners.” 1991. Wilson Library Bulletin 66 (September): 57.
  37. McCawley, Christina Wolcott. “An Interview with Lucia Rather.” Cataloging & Classification Quarterly. 25, no. 4 (1998): 253–62.
  38. 1990 ALA Awards Winners.” 1990. American Libraries 21 (June): 612
  39. “1982 ALA Awards Winners: Robert Royce McClarren.” 1982. American Libraries 13 (September): 539.
  40. McClarren Robert R. 1978. “Toward Cooperative Collection Development in the Illinois Library and Information Network.” Collection Building 96–113.
  41. Powell, R. R. (1989). Problem solving in libraries: A festschrift in honor of Herbert Goldhor. University of Illinois Graduate School of Library and Information Science.
  42. Goldhor, Herbert and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Graduate School of Library Science. 1972. An Introduction to Scientific Research in Librarianship. Urbana Ill: University of Illinois Graduate School of Library Science.
  43. Goldhor, Herbert 1968. Research Methods in Librarianship: Measurement and Evaluation. Urbana: University of Illinois Graduate School of Library Science
  44. Krikelas, James; Bunge, Charles A. (1989) Herbert Goldhor--A Tribute and Bibliography. Library Trends 38 n2 p295-312 (Fall).
  45. Helal, A. H., & Weiss, J. W. (1993). Opportunity 2000--understanding and serving users in an electronic library: 15th International Essen Symposium, 12–15 October 1992 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Essen University Library : Festschrift in honour of Herbert S. White. Universitätsbibliothek Essen. http://bvbr.bib-bvb.de:8991/F?func=service&doc_library=BVB01&doc_number=005096553&line_number=0001&func_code=DB_RECORDS&service_type=MEDIA
  46. White Herbert S. (1984). Managing the Special Library: Strategies for Success Within the Larger Organization. White Plains NY: Knowledge Industry Publications.
  47. Lee Susan A and Richard De Gennaro. 1998. The New Library Legacy: Essays in Honor of Richard De Gennaro. München: K.G. Saur.
  48. De Gennaro, Richard (1983). “Library Automation & Networking: Perspectives on Three Decades.” Library Journal 108 (April): 629–35.
  49. De Gennaro Richard. 1980. Research Libraries Enter the Information Age. New York: R.R. Bowker.
  50. “Howard Is Now Chief of LC’s Descriptive Cataloging Division.” Wilson Library Bulletin 43 (December 1968): 309.
  51. Cummings, M. M., & Timmer, E. B. (1988). Influencing change in research librarianship: A festschrift for Warren J. Haas. Council on Library Resources. https://bac-lac.on.worldcat.org/oclc/869193930
  52. Haas, Warren James. 1978. “Warren J. Haas: A Broader Role for CLR.” American Libraries 9 (May): 262.
  53. Delmus Eugene Williams. 1994. For the Good of the Order: Essays in Honor of Edward G. Holley. Greenwich Conn: Jai Press.
  54. “1982 ALA Awards Winners: Melvil Dewey Medal.” 1982. American Libraries 13 (June): 414.
  55. Vann, Sarah K. 1965. “Dewey Abroad.” Wilson Library Bulletin 39 (March): 550–54.
  56. Pattie, Ling-yuh W. 1998. “Henriette Davidson Avram, the Great Legacy.” Cataloging & Classification Quarterly 25 (2–3): 67–81
  57. Hevelone, Dorothy, Virginia Lacy Jones, Elonnie Junius Josey, Hylda Kamisar, Peter Ronald Lewis, Howard Lipton, Nancy B. Olson, et al. 1980. “1980 ALA Awards Winners.” American Libraries 11 (April): 345.|1980
  58. Stueart Robert D and White House Conference on Library and Information Services. 1982. Information Needs of the 80s: Libraries and Information Services Role in Bringing Information to People” Based on the Deliberations of the White House Conference on Library and Information Services. Greenwich Conn: JAI Press.
  59. “1979 ALA Awards Winners: Russell Eugene Bidlack.” 1979. American Libraries 10 (June): 381.
  60. Bidlack, Russell Eugene. 1957. “‘Coming Catalogue’ or Melvil Dewey’s Flying-Machine: Being the Historical Background of the A.L.A. Catalog.” Library Quarterly 27 (April): 137–60.
  61. Frederick G. Kilgour. “History of Library Computerization.” Information technology and libraries 3.3 (1970): 218–229.
  62. Lubetzky, Seymour Elaine Svenonius and Dorothy McGarry. 2001. Seymour Lubetzky : Writings on the Classical Art of Cataloging. Englewood Colo: Libraries Unlimited.
  63. Louis Round Wilson Centennial Day: Library Education in the Southeast Since World War II and University Libraries and Change. (1976). University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Jesse Hauk Shera," 'The Spirit Giveth Life:' "Louis Round Wilson and Chicago's Graduate Library School." The Journal of Library History 14 (winter 1975): 77–83.
  64. Robert B. Downs, Dean of Library Administration at the University of Illinois, at the time of his retirement in 1971, was awarded the 1974 Melvi1 Dewey Award American Library Association. July 12, 1974.
  65. Downs Robert B and Jerrold Orne. 1971. Research Librarianship: Essays in Honor of Robert B. Downs New York: R.R. Bowker.
  66. Virginia Lacy Jones papers Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library, Archives Research Center
  67. Josey, Elonnie J. (ed.). The Black Librarian in America. Metuchen, New Jersey: The Scarecrow Press, Inc. pp. 19–42.
  68. Poole, Herbert. 1977. Academic Libraries by the Year 2000: Essays Honoring Jerrold Orne. New York: R.R. Bowker. "Jerrold Orne: A Biographical Sketch.”
  69. LC Luminary William J. Welsh Dies American Libraries (July 18, 2012)
  70. Welsh, William J. 1981. “Last of the Monumental Book Catalogs.” American Libraries 12 (September): 464–68.
  71. Barber, Raymond W., Paul Howard, Julia Losinski, Jerry Dale Saye, and Joseph H. Treyz Jr. 1970. “1970 ALA Awards Winners.” American Libraries 1 (September): 811.
  72. Voigt Melvin John Joseph H Treyz and American Library Association. 1967. Books for College Libraries; a Selected List of Approximately 53 400 Titles Based on the Initial Selection Made for the University of California’s New Campuses Program and Selected with the Assistance of College Teachers Librarians and Other Advisers. Chicago: American Library Association.
  73. Dix, William Shepherd. 1969. “1969 ALA Awards Winners: Dewey Medal.” ALA Bulletin 63 (September): 1169.
  74. Robbins, Louise S. (1996). "Champions of a cause: American librarians and the Library Bill of Rights in the 1950s". Library Trends. 45 (1): 28–48.
  75. Shera, Jesse. 1968. “1968 ALA Awards Winners.” ALA Bulletin 62 (July): 865–66.
  76. Rawski, C. H. (1973). Toward a theory of librarianship: Papers in honor of Jesse Hauk Shera. Metuchen, N.J: Scarecrow Press.
  77. Kaiser, Walter Herbert. 1967. “1967 ALA Awards Winners: Dewey Medal.” ALA Bulletin 61 (July): 872.
  78. Kaiser, Walter Herbert. 1948. “Statistical Trends of Large Public Libraries, 1900-1946.” Library Quarterly 18 (October): 275–81.
  79. “Miss Frick Retires.” 1960. Wilson Library Bulletin 35 (November): 265.
  80. Cronin, John William. 1968. “John, W. Cronin Director of the Processing Department of the Library of Congress Retired.” Wilson Library Bulletin 42 (June): 965.
  81. Rogers, Frank Bradway. 1963. “Dr Frank B. Rogers Retired from Post at NLM.” Wilson Library Bulletin 38 (September): 29.
  82. Blake, John B. (January 1988). “Frank Bradway Rogers 1914-1987- Obituaries”, Bulletin of the Medical Library Association, 76(1), 95-97.
  83. Carnovsky, Leon, David Horace Clift, and Alice Brooks Mcguire. 1962. “ALA Awards and Citations for 1962.” ALA Bulletin 56 (July): 663.
  84. Haygood, W. C. (1968). Leon Carnovsky: A Sketch. The Library Quarterly 38(4), 422-428.
  85. Pressey, Julia C., and Joseph Lewis Wheeler. 1961. “ALA Awards and Citations for 1961.” ALA Bulletin 55 (September): 736.
  86. Slocum, G. P. 1960. “1960 American Library Association Awards, Citations, and Scholarships.” ALA Bulletin 54 (April): 688–89.
  87. Howe, Harriet Emma. 1931. “The Library School Curriculum.” Library Quarterly 1 (January): 283–90.
  88. Parker, W. W. 1959. “1959 ALA Awards, Citations, and Scholarships.” ALA Bulletin 53 (April): 698.
  89. “Benjamin A. Custer, Editor of the Dewey Decimal Classification, Will Retire at the End of February.” 1979. Wilson Library Bulletin 54 (November): 199.
  90. Decimal classification editorial policy committee annual report, Library Of Congress, 1958
  91. “Obituary.” 1979. Wilson Library Bulletin 54 (December): 264.
  92. "Dewey Award to Wyllis Wright" Library Resources and Technical Services 1 no 4, Fall, 1957): 179.
  93. Supplement to the Dictionary of American Library Biography. Ed. Wayne A. Wiegand. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 1990. p. 168-170
  94. Norah Albanell Maccoll and Unión Panamericana. 1955. Sistema De Clasificación Decimal Dewey : Tablas E Índice Alfabético Auxiliar 15a. ed. Essex County N.Y: Forest Press.
  95. Szigethy Marion C. 1974. Maurice Falcolm Tauber; a Biobibliography: 1934-1973. Metuchen N.J: Beta Phi Mu Nu Chapter Columbia University School of Library Service Scarecrow Press.
  96. Shera, Jesse Hauk. “Herman Howe Fussler.” The Library Quarterly: Information, Community, Policy. 53 (1983): 215–253.
  97. Knight, Douglas N. and Nourse, E. Shepley; Libraries At Large: Tradition, Innovation, and the National Interest New York, R. R. Bowker, 1969.
  98. Turner, Bruce. "Ralph Shaw." Leaders in American Academic Librarianship: 1925–1975 ed. Wayne Wiegand. Pittsburgh, PA: Beta Phi Mu, Chicago, Ill:
Categories: