Correspondence and subject files of the LHRT Essay Award Committee (1980-81), concerning evaluating the entries in the Essay Award (also called the Justin Winsor Prize Essay) contest, and notifying contributors. The series includes correspondence, memoranda and notes among jurors Arthur P. Young, Donald W. Krummel and Margaret F. Stieg. The series also includes Women Librarians in France: The First Generation, by Mary Niles Maack, 45 p., 1981.
The award was established to encourage excellence in research in library history and includes a $500 award, in addition to publication in The Journal of Library History.
At the 66th Annual Conference in June 1947, the Council approved a proposal for the establishment of the American Library History Round Table (LHRT) (1). Its purpose was to encourage research and publication in library history and promote awareness and discussion of historical issues in librarianship (2). In 1948 the Round Table started to publish "Library Abstract" in Library Journal.
At the 1977 ALA Conference the members decided to remove the word "American" from phrases in their constitution which indicated that the Round Table's function was limited to the encouragement of research and publication only in the field of American library history (3). At the 1979 ALA Conference, ALHRT voted to drop the word "American" from the name of the organization as well, "to extend an invitation to all members of the American Library Association concerned with the historical signifiance of librarianship to become members of the Round Table" (4).
The Library History Round Table is governed by a chairperson, chairperson-elect, and secretary-treasurer (5). The annual Library History Round Table Award is given to the best unpublished manuscript in library history (6).
Sub-Groups:
1-Officers
2-Publications -LHRT Newsletter