Matarazzo and Pearlstein Honored with Dana Award
Association Gives Champions of Corporate Librarianship its Top Honor
McLean, Virginia, 4 May 2016—The Special Libraries Association (SLA) will bestow its highest honor, the John Cotton Dana award—named for the association’s founder and first president—upon James “Jim” Matarazzo and Toby Pearlstein at its annual conference in Philadelphia, June 12–14. The two SLA members are revered for their dedication to the association and substantial contributions to the field of corporate librarianship, and have collaborated on a significant portion of their sizable body of research and published works.
The Dana Award recognizes lifetime achievement in the field of library science and exceptional service to the association and to the profession at large. Though both honorees are technically retired, they continue to demonstrate and substantiate the value of corporate and special libraries with their ongoing research and writing. Defining and quantifying the corporate library can be difficult, particularly in the ever-evolving global marketplace. However, for years, Toby and Jim have taken it upon themselves to provide colleagues in their industry with relevant empirical data on their sector to bolster corporate librarians’ confidence in developing and growing in their role within their organizations. This research has taken on many forms: papers, case studies, benchmarks, and centers of excellence.
Their 2013 work, Special Libraries: A Survival Guide (introduction by Barbara Quint and with assistance from Sylvia James), is a compilation of state-of-the-art examples and is considered by those in this complex and multi-faceted sector to be an essential guide to all corporate librarians as they navigate the rapidly changing business world. John Cotton Dana founded SLA in 1909 with the conviction that special libraries play a critical role in the business world and beyond. He explained in his opening presidential remarks that special libraries are “managed by experts who endeavor from day to day to gather together the latest things on the topic to which his library is devoted, to present to the firm and employees.” It is particularly fitting that Jim and Toby, champions of corporate librarians, are the 2016 recipients of the award.
About Jim Matarazzo
Jim Matarazzo is dean and professor emeritus of the School of Library and Information Science at Simmons College in Boston. His expertise has led to consulting engagements on the creation of corporate libraries and information centers, and information management systems for many corporations.
Jim has been a member of SLA since 1964. He belongs to the Leadership & Management Division and the New England Chapter and was president of the latter when it was known as the Boston Chapter. Jim served on SLA’s Board of Directors and on numerous committees, including the Awards and Honors, Research, and Strategic Planning Committees. He has also served as a faculty advisor for the Simmons Student Group of SLA.
Jim was named an SLA Fellow in 1988, received the SLA Professional Award in 1983 and 1988, and was recognized with the SLA President’s Award in 1991. In 2015 he was inducted into the SLA Hall of Fame.
At Simmons, Jim served on the faculty for over four decades, including 14 years as assistant dean of the library school and 9 years as dean. Although he has been officially retired from the university since 2002, Jim still teaches courses on the organization and management of special libraries. He also continues to collaborate on writings with Toby—the pair have three more articles accepted for publication in 2016 and 2017.
About Toby Pearlstein
Until her retirement in 2007, Toby Pearlstein was director of global information services at Bain & Company, Inc. Her work at the management consulting firm focused on overseeing all local information centers for Bain’s offices around the world and on vendor portfolio management.
Toby is a member of the SLA New England Chapter, the Leadership & Management Division, and the ENCORE Caucus. She has chaired both the Business & Finance Division and the Transportation Division. Additionally, she has held roles within divisions as strategic planning chair, professional development chair, and bulletin editor. She chaired the Professional Development Committee and has also served on the Finance, Nominating, and Research Committees. Toby is a Fellow of the Special Libraries Association and was inducted into the SLA Hall of Fame in 2008.
Over the years, Toby has shared her expertise through program presentations at SLA’s Annual Conference and at local chapter meetings. She has also authored (and co-authored, with Jim) a variety of works published in North America and internationally. Some of Toby and Jim’s notable collaborations include “Salaries of Special Librarians in the United States” (2014), “Ebooks in Corporate Special Libraries: A Review” (2013), “Schools of Library and Information Science: Some Thoughts on Vision to Purpose” (2012), and “Corporate Score: Marrying Two Expert Tools Will Help You Sustain Your Corporate Library” (2007).
About SLA
The Special Libraries Association (SLA) is a nonprofit international organization for innovative information professionals and their strategic partners. SLA serves information professionals in more than 60 countries and in a range of working environments, including business, academia, and government agencies. SLA promotes and strengthens its members through learning, advocacy, and networking initiatives. SLA’s annual conference will boast 200-plus sessions, business meetings, networking events, and other activities. For more information, visit sla.org.
Contact:
Andrea Bomar
+1.703.647.4900
abomar@sla.org
