The Library of Michigan today announced that staff member Carole C. Callard has received the 2004/05 Distinguished Service Award from the Library and Information Science Program (LISP) at Wayne State University. The award was presented on June 4 during the LISP "Spring Fling," an annual alumni reunion and recognition reception, at Cranbrook Institute of Arts in Birmingham.
The prestigious Professional Service Award acknowledges Wayne State alumni and other individuals who have made significant and sustained contributions to the Michigan library community during their careers. Recipients are selected by a committee comprised of faculty, staff, and students.
"Carole Callard has made significant and sustained contributions to the Michigan library community during her career. She has been a leader in state, regional and national professional associations," said Joseph J. Mika, director of Wayne State's Library and Information Science Program. "We are very pleased to add to that career by providing her with this award from LISP at WSU."
Callard, genealogy specialist at the Library of Michigan and Abrams Foundation genealogy chair, serves as an adjunct professor at Wayne State and teaches a genealogy class she designed for the Library and Information Science Program.
"This award means so much because Dean Mika took a risk in offering genealogy as part of the program," said Callard. "Genealogy is very popular, and many library school graduates will find themselves in charge of the genealogy, archives or local history program. Hopefully my class prepares them for this role."
Describing her career as "really unbelievable," Callard has held library positions in Ann Arbor, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, New York, Indiana, Washington, D.C., and Ethiopia. "I have loved being a librarian, and it is never boring – it keeps you current in all subject areas and new technology," she said.
Callard also said she is an advocate for making library funding a priority, even in difficult economic times, because libraries are such valuable assets to their communities. "Libraries play a vital role in meeting the cultural and information needs of citizens, and I'm proud to be able to contribute to that cause," she added.
Recipient of the National Genealogical Society's 2003 P. William Filby Prize for Genealogical Librarianship, Callard was the first librarian to hold an endowed chair of genealogy at the Library of Michigan.
The Library of Michigan maintains one of the 10 largest genealogical collections in the country, with more than 100,000 books, microforms and electronic resources providing a wide array of materials to those searching for their ancestry.
For those interested in learning more about researching their family history and the genealogy resources available at the Library of Michigan, the library will host a free genealogy seminar on Saturday, July 23, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Seating is limited, so registration is recommended. For more information about the seminar, please contact the Library of Michigan by e-mail at librarian@michigan.gov, by phone at (517) 373-1300 or on the Web at www.michigan.gov/libraryofmichigan.
The Library of Michigan is located inside the Michigan Library and Historical Center at 702 W. Kalamazoo St. in downtown Lansing. Weekend parking is free.
The Library of Michigan is part of the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL). Dedicated to enriching the quality of life for Michigan residents and strengthening the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity, the department also includes the Michigan Historical Center, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the Michigan Film Office. For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/hal.
