One of the main purposes of Special Libraries Section (SLS) event on 11 November 2010 was to present the LAS Special Librarian Passion Award, generously sponsored by LexisNexis. This award recognizes an individual or group each year for outstanding contributions to the LAS Special Libraries Section or its interest groups.

To qualify for the award, the individual must be a member of LAS and demonstrated passion for the profession through activities such as outreach, leadership, community involvement, innovating, mentoring, and promoting the profession.

The winner of the inaugural LAS Special Librarian Passion Award was Debby Regina Wegener.

Debby is a Reference Librarian in the Design & Fine Arts and Information Technology section of the Temasek Polytechnic Library, the Coordinator of the Library’s Information Literacy program, the Webmaster of the Library’s website and was editor of the Temasek Quarterly newsletter. She is also the author of a popular book for librarians, Training Library Patrons the Addie Way.

However, the Award is not for Debby’s work at Temasek Polytechnic. She was nominated for this award because of her contribution to the Arts Librarians Group (the ALG) of the Special Libraries Section of LAS. ALG is designed to promote communication and cooperation among Singapore based art library professionals and art related institutions, exchange ideas, and organize art-related events and programs related to the visual and performing arts. As Debby put it, “the ALG is a great way for like minded librarians to keep in touch, gather collection knowledge, talk about procedures and problems and just generally share.”

Debby was nominated by the other members in the ALG as she provided much of the behind the scenes coordination work that has maintained the Group’s momentum and helped ALG to grow to 35 members representing 16 institutions.  Debby was recognized for playing a key role in most aspects of the ALG’s work and for her tireless efforts on behalf of the ALG. She was a founding member and has served as the ALG Secretary since 2008.  She organized quarterly meetings which included visits to arts related libraries in 2008-2010 and serves as the Group’s archivist. She represented the ALG in the LAS Online Community Project Team to negotiate with the National Library Board to create a common communication platform for arts librarians in Singapore.  She created and served as the webmaster for the ALG blog. She spearheaded efforts to organize a much desired copyright seminar to discuss the unique and complex aspects of copyright related to visual images and film, which has not yet happened, but is still an ambition of the Group. Those who nominated her commented that Debby is the driving force behind ALG. The group owes much to her for her dependability, dedication, commitment, and patience, as well as her open, warm and cheerful personality which makes her infinitely approachable and a delight to work with.

In recognition of Debby’s passionate efforts in the Arts Librarians Group of the Special Libraries Section, LexisNexis was delighted to present Debby with a check for $300 and a certificate commemorating this very special and well-deserved Award.

Contributed by Special Libraries Section