NCSU Libraries Receives 2019 LITA/Library Hi Tech Award

The NCSU Libraries has been selected to receive the 2019 LITA/Library Hi Tech Award for Outstanding Communication in Library and Information Technology. Sponsored by Emerald Publishing and the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA), the Award recognizes outstanding individuals or institutions for their long-term contributions to the education of the Library and Information Science technology field.

“The Award Committee selected NC State University because of its work through the Data Science and Visualization Institute for Librarians (DSVIL) to increase the pool of data science-savvy people working in libraries,“ said Chair Tod A. Olson. Since 2015, the annual week-long event has hosted 119 participants, and covered topics such as data exploration, statistical analysis, bibliometric analysis, data visualization, data description, sharing, and reuse, data cleaning and preparation, version control with git and github, analyzing textual data, and mapping and geospatial visualization.

Olson went on to commend the team at the NCSU Libraries for its annual commitment, depth of training, and the number of librarians who have benefited from DVSIL all of which make NC State University a worthy recipient for this Award. The Libraries will receive a citation and a $1,000 stipend in recognition of its achievements.

When notified they were selected as this year's recipient, Jennifer Garrett (Director, Talent Management) said, “In launching the Data Science and Visualization Institute for Librarians (DSVIL), we wanted to grow a community of practice, to essentially deepen the capacity of our profession, in the areas of data science and visualization. And it has been really rewarding to see these efforts bear fruit. The program has connected librarians around the globe, from a range of disciplines and backgrounds, who were passionate about developing the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to communicate effectively with their researchers. Many have even gone on to implement their own data training programs or have created data science positions at their home institutions. For us, DSVIL has provided the necessary opportunities to shift perceptions of where a library fits as a contributing member of the research enterprise and has enabled librarians to become catalysts in emerging and competitive research processes.”

Members of the 2019 LITA/Library Hi-Tech Award Committee are: Tod A. Olson (Chair), Charissa J. Brammer, Michael A. Rodriguez, Holly A. Tomren, and Dr. Patrick T. Colegrove (Past Chair).

About LITA

The Library and Information Technology Association (LITA) is the leading organization reaching out across types of libraries to provide education and services for a broad membership of systems librarians, library technologists, library administrators, library schools, vendors, and others interested in leading edge technology and applications for librarians and information providers. LITA is a division of the American Library Association. Follow us on our Blog, Facebook, or Twitter.

About Emerald Publishing

Founded in 1967, Emerald Publishing today manages a range of digital products, a portfolio of nearly 300 journals, more than 2,500 books and over 450 teaching cases. More than 3,000 Emerald articles are downloaded every hour of every day. The network of contributors includes over 100,000 advisers, authors and editors. Globally, Emerald has an extraordinary reach with 12 offices worldwide and more than 4,000 customers in over 120 countries. Emerald is COUNTER 4 compliant. It is also a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. It also works in close collaboration with a number of organizations and associations worldwide.