[Asis-l] ALCTS Announces Margaret Mann Citation Recipient

[Shirley Lincicum]

ALCTS Announces Margaret Mann Citation Recipient

Judith Hopkins, retired Technical Services Research and Analysis Officer for Central Technical Services at the University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, is the recipient of the 2006 Margaret Mann Citation presented by the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS), Cataloging and Classification Section (CCS) of the American Library Association (ALA).

The award is a citation and a $2,000 scholarship donated in the recipient’s honor by OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc., to the library school of the winner’s choice. It recognizes outstanding professional achievement in cataloging or classification either through publication of significant professional literature, participation in professional cataloging associations, demonstrated excellence in teaching cataloging, or valuable contributions to the technical improvement of cataloging and classification and/or the introduction of a new technique of recognized importance.

The Margaret Mann Citation Committee is honored to present this award to Judith Hopkins in recognition of her contributions to the practice of cataloging. In particular, the Committee notes her early involvement with the fledgling OCLC as its first Bibliographic Editor.  It was her task to explain to computer programmers exactly what displays and what indexing was needed to move bibliographic information into the computer age.  Judith Hopkins helped lay the bibliographic foundations of OCLC.  Her concern for communicating the details of descriptions set a standard of excellence that still permeates OCLC today.  It was the force of her intellect and knowledge that helped shape the tools that have been of lasting value to OCLC users.

It was also at OCLC that Hopkins began her extensive career as an educator of catalogers.  She first worked with Ohio librarians to get them up and running on OCLC using the Marc formats.  She expanded her reach by teaching in formal classroom settings and giving lectures and workshops on cataloging.  Hopkins helped shape the generation of catalogers that have taken bibliographic description from the card file to the OPAC and out to the Internet.   

Judith Hopkins has demonstrated a prolific and committed involvement in professional association work at regional and national level.  Her service within ALA encompasses a number of committee assignments and activities.  She has served both ALCTS and LITA.  Hopkins is well known for acting as secretary on numerous occasions to provide the minutes of meetings, especially for the “big heads” meetings during ALA conferences.  These minutes enabled catalogers across the country to understand the trends and problems that the largest technical services departments face.    

Judith Hopkins is perhaps most well known and universally praised for her role as list owner of AUTOCAT, the library cataloging and authorities discussion group.  Her pioneering work as moderator for AUTOCAT has set the standard for how a moderator of a professional discussion list should conduct the business of the list.  Her wide ranging experience and knowledge, her dedication to both the technique and the heart of cataloging has made it possible for catalogers around the world to share the experience of developing their cataloging expertise.  J. McRee Elrod (a frequent contributor to AUTOCAT) has observed: “Her impact at the level of actual practitioners is beyond that of any other individual among us”. 

The common thread in Judith Hopkins’ professional life is her dedication to communication, to teaching, and to service.  It is to these ends that her knowledge and expertise has been addressed. The range and depth of her contributions to promote and advance the art of cataloging and classification serve as a model for young professionals entering librarianship.  This is what it means to be truly dedicated to the well being of libraries and library users.

Judith Hopkins holds a master’s degree in library science from Graduate School of Library Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

The Margaret Mann Citation will be presented Sunday June 25, 2006, at 5:00 p.m. during the ALCTS Awards Ceremony.


Shirley Lincicum
Collection Management Librarian
Hamersly Library
Western Oregon University
Monmouth, OR 97361
(503) 838-8890 - voice, (503) 838-8399 - fax
lincics at wou.edu