Annual Report (2003)
ARLIS/NA Distinguished Service Award Committee

Submitted by Jeannette Dixon, Chair
Jdixon2@uh.edu  phone (713) 868-1091

Members of the Distinguished Service Award Committee included:

Jeannette Dixon, Chair
Jack Perry Brown
Ann Morris
Carol Terry
Roger Lawson

This year the committee was presented with two outstanding candidates. Both had been active in ARLIS for over 20 years; had presented numerous papers at professional conferences; had been outstanding leaders in the field; and both had national reputations for their writings and activities in the library profession. It was very difficult for the group to choose between two such qualified candidates for this award. One committee member even suggested that we make the award to both candidates. But living within the directive to the committee, we faced the tough job of choosing just one recipient. Given the international activities that Angela Giral undertook and her impending retirement from the profession and her position at the Avery Library, Columbia University, the group coalesced to choose her for the award. Not only did Angela contribute to the scholarship of the IFLA Art Section for many years, but she bridged the communication gap for many of the non-native English speaking members with her breadth of understanding and her language facility in French, Portuguese, and Spanish. All committee members felt Angela was deserving of the award, and were happy to be able to honor her for her vision, leadership, and innovation within the field of art librarianship.

I extend my appreciation to all the committee members who thoughtfully considered the applications, to those ARLIS members who nominated both candidates and prepared excellent packets of supporting documents on behalf of the nominees, and to Ted Goodman, Past President, and Allen Townsend, President of ARLIS/NA, for their support and counsel. I feel honored to have been able to serve in a capacity to acknowledge an outstanding colleague who deserves our kudos, and without whom our profession would be less distinguished.

Respectfully submitted,

Jeannette Dixon