News Division Award Winners
Congratulations to the four amazing people who won the Special Libraries Association News Division awards this year. John Cronin of the Boston Herald will get kwapilled at the Awards Banquet in June. The Kwapil Award is the division's highest honor, recognizing someone who has made outstanding contributions to the News Division and the field during his career. Gary Price of ResourceShelf and other fame and Liz Donovan of The Miami Herald will receive Agnes Henebry Roll of Honor Awards. The award honors those who have made significant contributions to the division. Amy Disch, a University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate student, will receive the Vormelker-Thomas Student Award, a stipend to defray the costs of the Special Libraries Association Annual Conference.

If it wasn't for John Cronin, I wouldn't have my job. John is a truly amazing guy, quite a character, and a total inspiration. He's someone everyone who is a news librarian anywhere in America should (and just might) know. I am honored to work near him and know him professionally.

Gary Price is someone whose material I'm constantly reading and linking to. He's one of these people who baffles us all because of how well he keeps up with things and how willing he is to share what he finds and learns. The News Division is so lucky to count him among their members.

I've worked with Liz Donovan through the News Division for the last two years since as Director of Publications she oversees my work as Webmaster. Her technical wizardry is an inspiration. If it wasn't for her pushing me, I may not be blogging today and the News Division probably wouldn't have a blog. Liz blogs on other blogs, besides the News Division blog.

I, unfortunately, have not met Amy Disch, yet. She works with some great people at Madison Newspapers, Inc., and, of course, goes to a terrific university. Go Badgers! From my past three years on the committee to choose the student stipend winner, I can tell you that the competition is tough. The committee gets many essays from equally intelligent, active, and deserving graduate students interested in news librarianship. Choosing only one of them can be very difficult.

--Jessica Baumgart