Robert F. Asleson Memorial ALA Conference Grant Initial Winner Is Announced

CAPE CORAL, Fla., May 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The board of directors of the Robert F. Asleson Memorial ALA Conference Grant has announced this year's award recipient. The winning essay was submitted by Catherine Larson, a student in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Ms. Larson will receive a $1,500.00 grant to help defray the cost of attending ALA's 2011 Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana in June.

The Robert F. Asleson Memorial ALA Conference Grant was established by friends and colleagues within the information industry to honor the memory of Bob Asleson, late founder and president of The Redalen Group, for his countless contributions to the library community. An advisor and guide to countless members of the profession, Bob's 50-year career spanned both traditional and innovative technologies, from reference materials to CD-ROMs to online databases. He held presidential positions at several leading industry companies and served on numerous industry organization boards. The grant's monetary awards subsidize attendance at the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting and the Annual Conference for deserving Master of Library Science degree candidates. Successful applicants are selected based on economic need and the quality of an essay based on criteria set by the board.

Scheduled to graduate in 2012, Catherine Larson lives in Chicago and attends school on a half-time basis while she works to pay her tuition. She serves as a volunteer on the publications committee for MARS: Emerging Technologies Reference Section of RUSA, requiring her attendance at ALA conferences for the next two years. Her winning essay will be posted on the grant's website.

In awarding the grant, Iris Hanney, Chairman of the Board of Directors, said, "I am thrilled that Bob Asleson's memory continues to be honored through this award, and am extremely pleased to present it to Catherine Larson. She submitted an outstanding essay discussing the impact of the electronic consumer market on library services and spaces. We wish her the best of luck in her future career!"

The board of directors continues to seek both corporate and individual donations in support of the Robert F. Asleson Memorial ALA Conference Grant. It believes that exposure to the programs, seminars, contacts and other conference benefits will foster an on-going love of and dedication to the cause of librarianship in students who otherwise would be unable to attend, reflecting the values exhibited by Bob Asleson throughout his life and long professional career.

Complete details of the grant, including information on donation participation, are available on the website at http://www.aslesongrant.org. Several levels of support are available, and all donations are fully tax-deductible. Additional information may be obtained by contacting:

Iris L. Hanney, Chairman of the Board
Robert F. Asleson Memorial ALA Conference Grant
1930 SW 48th Lane
Cape Coral, FL 33914
239-549-2384
239 549-3168 Fax
[email protected]

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SOURCE Robert F. Asleson Memorial ALA Conference Grant