The SLIS Alumni Board will honor William J. ("Bill") Crowe with the 2004 Distinguished Alumni Award at the American Library Association annual conference in June 2004.
The Distinguished Alumni Award is presented annually to "an alumnus who is making, or has made, an outstanding contribution to the Library Science/Information Science profession." Dr. Crowe received his Ph.D. from SLIS in 1986.
Since July 1999, Dr. Crowe has been the Spencer Librarian at the University of Kansas. He is responsible for the university's rare books, manuscripts, regional history, and archival collections and services at the Kenneth Spencer Research Library. He was KU's Vice Chancellor for Information Services from 1996 to 1999. He served in that position in addition to his position as Dean of Libraries, which he assumed in August 1990.
Dr. Crowe has also served as Assistant Director of Libraries at The Ohio State University, and in positions at the University of Michigan and Indiana University. A Boston native, he received a B.A. from Boston State College and an M.L.S. from Rutgers University.
"Bill Crowe has performed at consistent levels of excellence, innovation, and entrepreneurship," said William J. Studer, 1978 recipient of the award, who made the nomination. The award jury concurred, noting Dr. Crowe's 35 years of professional experience, in three research libraries and a major urban public library.
SLIS Alumni Board President Keith Kuhn will present the award at the SLIS Alumni Reception during the American Library Association annual conference in Orlando, Florida. The presentation will be made Sunday June 27, 2004, in the Koi Room of the Renaissance Orlando Resort.
Posted May 13, 2004