ASCLA 2006 Award Recipients
ASCLA Exceptional Service Award
The Johnson County Library, Outreach Services Department (Kansas), is the 2006 recipient of the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) Exceptional Service Award. The ASCLA Exceptional Service Award is a citation to recognize exceptional service to patients and inmates; the homebound; medical, nursing and other professional staff in hospitals; and inmates, as well as to recognize professional leadership, effective interpretation of programs, pioneering activity and significant research. The award is presented by ASCLA, a division of the American Library Association (ALA).
 "The Johnson County Library's Outreach Services Department not only brings library services to a wide array of people who cannot get to the library, it does so on the cutting edge of this type of library service," said Ruth O'Donnell, ASCLA awards committee chair. "Each target group receives outstanding service that takes advantage of the latest technology and the strength that comes from partnerships with other service providers. It is truly an exceptional outreach service."
The Outreach Services Department has been reaching out to populations needing unique services for many years both on their own and through partnerships with other organizations. Their focus is community members who cannot come to the library. Over the years an extensive program of services has been developed that includes an array of activities such as services to children in child care, teens and adults in the justice system, persons with disabilities, homebound adults, and seniors in retirement centers or who receive home care.
ASCLA Leadership Achievement Award
 Keith Curry Lance, director, Library Research Services, Colorado State Library; affiliated professor, Library and Information Science Program, University of Denver; and independent consultant, is the 2006 recipient of the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) Leadership Achievement Award presented by the ASCLA, a division of the American Library Association (ALA).
The ASCLA Leadership Achievement Award is a citation presented to recognize leadership and achievement in consulting, multi-type library cooperation and state library development. The award recognizes sustained activity that has been characterized by professional growth and effectiveness and has enhanced the status of these areas of activity.
"Keith's work in library statistics and service evaluation has been vital for library development in the nation," stated Ruth O'Donnell, ASCLA awards committee chair. "Every library director, regardless of library type, owes him a debt of gratitude because of his leadership."
ASCLA Professional Achievement Award
 Tom W. Sloan, executive director, Southeast Florida Information Network (SEFLIN), is the 2006 recipient of the ASCLA Professional Achievement Award presented by the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).
The ASCLA Professional Achievement Award is a citation presented to one or more ASCLA members for professional achievement within the areas of consulting, networking, statewide service, and programs.
"Tom Sloan is a nationally known ASCLA leader who has achieved outstanding success as a state librarian, active member of professional associations, and innovator in multi-type library cooperation," said Ruth O'Donnell, ASCLA award committee chair.
ASCLA Service Award
 Rhea Rubin, Rubin Consulting, is the 2006 recipient of the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) Service Award.
The Service Award is a citation presented by ASCLA, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to recognize an ASCLA personal member for sustained leadership and exceptional service through participation in activities that have enhanced the stature, reputation and overall strength of ASCLA, as well as representation of ALA.
"As an independent library consultant since 1980 and when she was employed in a library, Rhea Rubin has generously contributed her time to leadership and service in ASCLA," said Ruth O'Donnell, ASCLA award committee chair. "Her work in the Association dates back to 1972 when she was the first chair of the Bibliotherapy Committee."
"Of particular note is her work with the Accessibility Assembly, which she has chaired three times and also edited and sheparded through ALA, the Accessibility Policy, and her stints as director on the ASCLA Board of Directors and several section executive committees," stated O'Donnell.
ASCLA KLAS NOD Award
 The Skokie Public Library, Youth Services Department, is the 2006 recipient of the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) ASCLA/KLAS/NOD Award. Donated by Keystone Systems, Inc., the $1,000 award and certificate is given to a library organization that has provided services for people with disabilities. The award is presented by ASCLA, a division of the American Library Association (ALA).
The Youth Services Department partnered with the Niles Township District of Special Education to form a Youth Services Special Needs Advisory Council to educate library staff about children with special needs, offer programs for the children and their families, present disabilities awareness programs for the general public, and bring students in special education classes to the library. The project was funded by a Library Services and Technology Act grant titled "Come On In: The Library Is a Special Place for Children with Disabilities." The funds from the grant also provided for the addition of assistive equipment to enable all children access to library resources.
"'Come On In! The Library Is a Special Place for Children with Disabilities' was started in December 2004 and continues to provide a remarkable array of adapted services for its target population," stated Ruth O'Donnell, ASCLA award committee chair. "It is an outstanding example of the value of library and community agency partnerships developed to assure that everyone benefits from available library services."
Francis Joseph Campbell Award
 Axel Schmetzke, Ph.D., is the recipient of the 2006 Francis Joseph Campbell Award. Schmetzke is professor, reference librarian, coordinator of instruction, and head of the Instructional Materials Center, University Library, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.
The honor, which consists of a citation and medal, is presented to a library or person who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of library service for the blind and physically handicapped. The Library Service to People with Visual or Physical Disabilities Forum, of the Libraries Serving Special Populations Section of the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA), presents the award.
"Dr. Schmetzke's research, publications, and lectures in the area of accessible information technology have encouraged individuals who design online resources to meet the needs of library patrons with print disabilities," said Rahye Puckett, award committee chair. "He has raised awareness in online resource selection and developed strategies to create barrier-free virtual library environments in libraries."
The award is named for Francis Joseph Campbell (1832-1914), an American who lost his sight at the age of five. He was the music director at the Wisconsin School for the Blind and the Perkins Institution for the Blind. Campbell also was instrumental in the founding of the Royal National College for the Blind, and was knighted by King Edward VII of England.
ASCLA Century Scholarship
 Avery Deane Olmstead IV is the 2006 recipient of the Century Scholarship presented by the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). Olmstead is a student at the College of Library Information Science at the University of South Carolina, Columbia.
The independently funded Century Scholarship is a diversity initiative aimed at promoting the ALA's mission of improving service at the local level through the development of a representative workforce that reflects the communities served by all libraries in the new millennium. The Century Scholarship is a $2,500 monetary award given annually to a student or students pursuing a degree in library and information science.
"The committee was unanimous in its opinion that Avery 'is that perfect candidate,' a student with a disability for whom the Century Scholarship was conceived to assist in the completion of coursework for a master's in Library Information Science and to become a library professional," stated Simon J. M. Healey, Century Scholarship Jury Committee Chair. "Avery is an inspiring, intelligent, talented person who is interested in raising disability awareness and is equally enthusiastic about the library world and in bringing the two aspects together."
Olmstead earned a bachelor of science in Rehabilitation Services from the University of Maine at Farmington and a MHRT/Community Certificate from the University of Southern Maine. He served as an AmeriCorps Volunteer with the "Born to Read" program at the Maine Humanities Council and with "Project GOALS" at the Bangor Public Library and Old Town Public Library. He has performed as an actor with the National Theatre Workshop of the Handicapped, Inc., based in Crosby, Maine.
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