The American Library Association (ALA) Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender and Government Documents Round Tables (GLBTRT and GODORT) are proud to announce Lisa Hinchliffe (MS ’94) as the inaugural recipient of the Larry Romans Mentorship Award. Hinchliffe is an iSchool-affiliated faculty member and adjunct professor, editor of the journal Library Trends, and professor and coordinator for information literacy services and instruction at the University of Illinois Library.
“I believe that our community is strengthened when we support everyone in reaching their full potential and professional aspirations,” said Hinchliffe. “I am honored that so many have trusted me to be a part of their journeys and humbled to have my contributions recognized by this award.”
Hinchliffe’s mentorship at the University of Illinois as well as in ALA and the Association of College & Research Libraries has provided support to many generations of library school students and colleagues. She has a passion and obvious joy in guiding library students and lifting up the profession. Throughout her career, she has sought out opportunities to assist students: co-authoring papers, including students in presentations, and developing courses and workshops on interviewing, and getting the most out of conferences.
The Award’s namesake, Larry Romans, mentored numerous librarians at Vanderbilt University, where he worked for over 30 years. For decades, he also was tremendous leader and mentor in the Tennessee Library Association, providing a positive influence on the association and the careers of innumerable librarians, many of whom have gone on to be ALA leaders. Of particular note, during his 23 years of service to ALA Council, Romans mentored countless new and veteran councilors.
“Larry Romans was a mentor to many and continues to be deeply missed by the library community,” said GLBTRT chair Deb Sica. “Lisa’s incredible work and student advocacy is his living legacy. She is highly reflective of Larry’s kind and considerate spirit."
The award consists of a citation and $1,000. It will be presented at the GODORT Awards Program during the ALA Annual Conference in June. In addition, the recipient will be recognized at the beginning of the Stonewall Book Awards Program during the conference. For more information about the award, visit the GLBTRT website.
As the oldest professional association for GLBT people in the United States, GLBTRT is committed to serving the information needs of the GLBT professional library community as well as the information and access needs of individuals at large. It is home to GLBT Book Month (tm), a nationwide celebration every June, and the Stonewall Book Award, the oldest award honoring GLBT books. GLBTRT is committed to encouraging and supporting the free and necessary access to all information, as reflected by the missions of ALA and democratic institutions.
GODORT provides a forum for the discussion of problems and concerns and for the exchange of ideas by librarians working with government documents. It provides a nexus for initiating and supporting programs to increase the availability, use, and bibliographic control of documents; increases communication between documents librarians and the larger community of information professionals; and contributes to the education and training of documents librarians.