Preer Wins Winsor Prize

Dr. Jean Preer has been awarded the 2007 Justin Winsor Prize for her essay "Promoting Citizenship: Librarians Help Get Out the Vote in the 1952 Presidential Election". The award, given annually for the best library history essay, is juried by the Library History Round Table of the American Library Association (ALA).

In granting the award, the committee wrote

"Your essay covers an important and interesting topic in library history. It represents a solid research based on a variety of published and unpublished primary sources and draws on a wide secondary literature. It is written in a style that is clear and concise and holds the reader's attention."

The award, named in honor of the distinguished 19th century librarian, historian, and bibliographer who was also ALA's first president, consists of a cash award. It also includes an invitation to present the paper at the Annual Conference of the American Library Association to be held in Washington, DC in June 2007 and have the paper considered for publication in Libraries & the Cultural Record. Since the award was established in 1978, there have only been 18 recipients, with one individual being honored twice.

The guidelines for the paper are that essays submitted should not be previously published, previously submitted for publication, or under consideration for publication or another award. To be considered, essays should embody original historical research on a significant topic in library history, be based on primary sources materials whenever possible, and use good English composition and superior style.