Allison's
Speech
2006 SLSA Distinguished Service Award
Presentation Remarks: Allison Wheeler, President, School
Library
Systems Association
SLMS Conference, Hyatt Regency, Rochester N.Y.
April 28, 2006
As
President of the School Library Systems
Association of New York State, better known as SLSA, I am pleased
and proud
to represent New
York State’s School
Library System Directors in honoring Dr. Janet L. Barr as the recipient
of the
2006 SLSA Distinguished Service Award.
This award is presented annually to recognize a School Library
System
Director who has made an outstanding contribution to school
librarianship and
to our organization. The
following qualities are examined in
determining the recipient of this award: professional leadership,
professional
service, information sharing, collaboration, quality programs and
creative
service.
Dr.
Barr, Eastern Suffolk School Library System Director, is one of the few
remaining original SLS Directors, those intrepid school library
pioneers who
accepted the monumental challenge of developing New
York State’s
nascent
School Library Systems.
Beginning
in July 1986 with only a small office and a full-time secretary, Dr.
Barr began
a twenty-year career that would span the automation of 220 public
school
buildings, the merger of Suffolk 1 and Suffolk 2 School Library
Systems, the
development of a Virtual Reference Collection serving students and
staff in 46
school districts, ongoing advocacy for quality library service to
students, and
active participation in professional organizations. Notably, she has
also
served as President of the School Library
Systems Association of New York State, and as Long
Island’s Regional
Representative to the Resolutions Committee for the Governor’s
Conference on
Library and Information Services. As Dr.
Barr prepares to retire at the end of this school year, she leaves a
larger
office, four full-time staff, many friends, and happy memories.
Those
nominating Dr. Barr for the SLSA Distinguished Service Award have noted
that
her influence has spread far beyond the Eastern Suffolk School Library
System. Rather, Dr. Barr is known as an
active champion of School Library Systems, a calm and reasoned thinker,
and a
mentor to all.
It
is with both respect and affection that I present this award to our
colleague
and friend, Dr. Janet L. Barr."
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Janet's Speech
2006 SLSA Distinguished Service Award
Acceptance Remarks: Janet Barr
SLMS Conference, Hyatt Regency, Rochester N.Y.
April 28, 2006
It
is a great honor to accept
this Distinguished Service Award from the School Library Systems
Association.
For twenty years I have
participated in its mission:
- To serve
member libraries, enabling improved services to users
- To empower
all school library media specialists to be instructional experts and
leaders in their schools
- To serve as a
component of the statewide library network, enabling the effective
functioning and continued development of the network, and sharing
resources with all types of libraries through cooperation and
coordination
I
thank all of you, school
library media specialists, for working with your School Library Systems
to make
New York State’s
school library service one of the best in the country.
Thank
you
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Reception Pictures
