Larry D. Dershem, Computer Research Specialist/Reference Librarian, Legal Research Center, University of San Diego School of Law, was the recipient of the 1995 Renee D. Chapman Memorial Award for Outstanding Contributions in Technical Services Law Librarianship. The award was presented at the TS/SIS Business Meeting on Sunday, July 16, 1995, by Awards Committee chair Richard Amelung, St. Louis University Law Library.
The Chapman award is presented to an individual in recognition of extended and sustained distinguished service to technical services law librarianship and to AALL. Mr. Dershem certainly qualifies on all counts. Larry’s innovation in publishing LC Classification schedules in a loose-leaf format appears to be such a logical occurence that it is now accepted as common place. But that format and his value-added descriptions were revolutionary and have positively impacted technical services departments ever since. His publications, especially the Library of Congress Classification Class K Subclass …, have been, and continue to be, of immeasurable service to Law Catalogers everywhere. In addition, his schedules for the law-related classifications H, Z and J, are of equal benefit to all areas of librarianship.
Mr. Dershem has an A.B. degree in History from UCLA, a M.L.S. from the University of California, Berkeley, and a J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law. Larry most recently published California Legal Research Handbook, Rothman, c1995; was editor of the San Diego Law Review while in Law School, and is a member of AALL, SCALL, State Bar of California, San Diego County Bar Association and the San Diego Association of Law Libraries.
It was indeed an honor to present this award to someone so qualified and dedicated to Law Librarianship as Mr. Larry Dershem.
From: Technical Services Law Librarian, vol. 21, no. 1 (September 1996), p. 30.
*Photograph taken July 22, 2002 during AALL Annual Meeting.