Winners announced for RUSA’s 2018 Isadore Mudge Award

Eleanor Mitchell, Director of Library Services at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and Sarah B. Watstein, Dean, Lemieux Library and McGoldrick Learning Commons of Seattle University were selected as the 2018 winners of the Isadore Gilbert Mudge Award, the Reference and User Services Association's highest honor. Sponsored by Credo Reference, the award consists of $5,000 and a citation to an individual (or individuals) that has made a distinguished contribution to reference librarianship.

For the past thirteen years Ms. Mitchell and Ms. Watstein have served as co-editors of Reference Services Review. Through their collaboration they have combined their strengths of knowledge and experience about reference service and user instruction to deliver critically vetted and carefully edited articles on the major strains of reference work. They have taken a strong journal and developed it into an exemplary venue for sharing ideas about the complex nexus of information sources, information discovery and delivery systems, information professionals and library users. Under their editorship they have transformed the journal into one of the most respected in the field of reference librarianship.

“Reference is the foundation of great research,” said Credo General Manager Ian Singer. “This year’s winners have shown a true commitment to furthering conversations around reference librarianship in these changing times. We’re honored to sponsor the award that recognizes their contributions to the field.”

The awards will be presented to both winners at RUSA's President's Program, featuring Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, on Saturday, June 23 at ALA's Annual Conference in New Orleans. 

The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association, represents librarians and library staff in the fields of reference, specialized reference, collection development, readers’ advisory and resource sharing. RUSA is the foremost organization of reference and information professionals who make the connections between people and the information sources, services, and collection materials they need. Learn more about the association at www.rusaupdate.org.