Award Name

Brief Description

This award is presented to an outstanding GSLIS student showing excellence and interest in the area of reference services. Bryce Allen was a GSLIS faculty member from 1989 to 1995. In 2001, he retired to Nova Scotia from his faculty position at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Information Science and Learning Technologies. Bryce was devoted to his students and LIS education. With Professor Linda Smith, he developed the LIS 404 Reference and Information Services course and he contributed the chapter on "Evaluation of Reference Services" to all three editions of the Smith and Bopp text, Reference and Information Services: An Introduction. Bryce was so interested in both teaching and practice that he spent a semester working at the Main Library Reference Desk so that he could ensure he kept in touch with the sources and services he taught. In the fall of 1996, Bryce taught the first LEEP 380 Information Organization and Access class from his desktop in Columbia, Missouri. Dr. Allen died unexpectedly on April 27, 2003.

Recipients

This award is given to a student who exhibits unusual creativity, reflects an innovative spirit and shows the most promise for an outstanding career in a special library, non-traditional library setting or as an entrepreneur. Sponsor of the award is C. Berger Group, Inc., Carol Stream, IL.

Recipients

The Berner-Nash award is given to the person writing an outstanding doctoral dissertation. The Award was established by graduate students in the early 1970's in honor of two graduates, Mr. Bill Berner and Mr. Bill Nash, who were tragically killed in an automobile accident.

Recipients

For many years Miss Anne M. Boyd was a distinguished and beloved member of the Faculty of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science. In her honor the Alpha Chapter of Beta Phi Mu presents an award to the one MS graduate each year who, by vote of the faculty, is judged to be outstanding. Students, by virtue of a grade point average of 4.0 and graduation in August, October, January or May, are to be considered for nomination for the Boyd Award. Additional criteria to be considered are:

1. Commitment to the profession of librarianship.
2. Ability to relate to other people.
3. Contributions to the School through participation in organizations and activities.
4. Potential leadership qualities.

Recipients

Edith (1958-2008) was an artist whose altered books breathe with beauty and spirituality. With a career that also included social work and public libraries, her full life is a tribute to the love and strength of family and community. Her dad, Ed Harris, a minister and poet, wrote about life as a civil rights activist in the South. Her mom, Sandra Gutridge Harris, discovered storytelling at GSLIS and has pursued her love of gathering and telling family stories in venues that range from prisons to the White House. Her husband, Steve Camp, was one of the first people hired for Prairienet, the GSLIS organization that brings technology to communities in need.

This award is given to the student, who, like Edith and her daughter Tabitha, inspires and cares for others with courage, creativity, art, laughter, and friendship.

Recipients

The Jane B. and Robert B. Downs Award is given in honor of Dean Emeritus Robert B. Downs to the MS candidate with the greatest professional promise.

Mr. S. R. Shapiro, a New York book dealer, established this award to remind people of Dr. Robert B. Downs' many contributions in the areas of librarianship and in library science publishing.

Recipients

The GSLIS community culture encourages students to become involved in the life of the School. Threaded through coursework, research projects, assistantships, student professional groups, lab time and social activities are many opportunities to add value to the educational experience of others as well as enhance and refine one's own personal skills and characteristics.

From time to time, a student adds some special contribution to GSLIS that may not be within the scope of a previously established award but deserves public recognition. To honor such a student, the faculty voted in May 1999 to give a Faculty Special Award of Merit, with criteria open to allow such special recognition each year when warranted.

Recipients

The Herbert Goldhor Award for Public Librarianship is sponsored by The Friends of the Urbana Free Library to recognize an outstanding GSLIS student showing excellence and interest in entering the area of public librarianship.

Recipients

The Peggy Harris Award was established in 1995, in memory of Peggy Harris, a former staff member. It is given to the individual who most exemplifies the spirit of volunteerism, and a concern for others and for the welfare of the School.

Recipients

The Health Sciences Information Management Award was established in 1992 by Dr. Prudence Dalrymple, a former faculty member, in honor of her father, to recognize an outstanding GSLIS student showing excellence and interest in entering the area of health sciences librarianship.

Recipients

Established in 1995 by the faculty in recognition of the most significant achievement in information systems or application of information technologies by a student.

Recipients

Dr. Frances B. Jenkins taught science reference and bibliography and directed the Bio-medical librarianship program at the School for a number of years. Upon her retirement, her friends and colleagues established a fund, the income from which is used to provide an award each year to the master's degree student who exhibits the greatest potential as a science librarian. Other criteria to be considered are:

1. Prior outstanding academic and/or work experience in the sciences.
2. Personal commitment to the field of science librarianship.
3. Academic excellence in course work as a candidate for the MS degree.
4. Potential for professional success in science librarianship.

Recipients

This award recognizes a student who "caught the spirit" of the library and information science profession while employed in a library setting and so chose to enter the masters program. This student must have a strong commitment to return to a professional position in a library setting and help others "catch the spirit."

Recipients

This award, named in honor of M. Alice Lohrer who is a graduate (BS 37, MS 44) and served as a member of the faculty from 1941 to 1974, is given annually to a student who shows outstanding promise in the field of literature and library services for youth. The award is funded by ten alumni and friends of Miss Lohrer. The recipient will receive a certificate and a gift of $100.

Recipients

Given to a student who demonstrates strong intellectual curiosity and interests both in the classroom and outside it. The award is given by Jana R. Bradley (Ph.D. '91) in honor of her mother, Hazel C. Rediger, who exemplifies in the highest degree a spirit of enthusiastic intellectual questioning and questing and a commitment to libraries as institutions essential to intellectual vitality.

Recipients

Given to a student who, in the opinion of the faculty, best exhibits the characteristics of a humanist, broadly defined. The award is established by Jana R. Bradley (Ph.D. '91) in memory of Joseph Rediger (1898-1994).

Recipients

The surest way to a just society is through literacy and universal access to information. This award of $100 is given to a student who has shown a special interest in providing or enhancing library and information services to groups whose needs fall outside the parameters of traditional services. Lionelle Elsesser (MS 67) sponsors this award.

Recipients

The Undergraduate Best Paper award is given to the author of a paper or project completed for one of the LIS courses offered for the Informatics minor. Papers are nominated by instructors of the courses, with each instructor identifying the best paper from their course. These nominations are evaluated by a committee established by the faculty of Graduate School of Library and Information Science. Lionelle Elsesser (MS 67) sponsors this award.

Recipients

"As the first 1+1 program student between GSLIS and Zhejiang University, Yingbo was the tie between the LIS students in China and here at GSLIS. The excellence in her work and the passion for her life have inspired all who have associated with her and will be remembered and valued by incoming Chinese and American students. Continuing her dreams and matching her high standards will have a long lasting and positive impact on GSLIS and China's LIS community." These words were written by Lian Ruan, director and head librarian of the Illinois Fire Service Institute and current GSLIS doctoral student, at the time of Yingbo's untimely death in a hit and run car accident. Her professor, Jon Gant, wrote of Yingbo, "From the summer of 2009 to Thanksgiving 2009, Miss Yingbo Zhou was an outstanding student at GSLIS. Yingbo danced like an angel into the heartbeat of the GSLIS community with her infectious smile, gentle and caring heart, and her enduring faith. We remember Yingbo's journey from China to GSLIS as a successful life filled with aspirations of leading and academic library and helping the communities they serve embrace information systems. Yingbo was instrumental in developing a digital library, mapping system, and other applications to help improve the lives of people in East St. Louis, Chicago and Sao Tome. Yingbo was a natural student leader at GSLIS through her service as president of the GSLIS Chinese Group. As Yingbo's journey continued to heaven sooner than we expected, we honor her memory and special place with the GSLIS Class of 2010."

Recipients