The Technical Services Special Interest Section Awards Committee is pleased to announce that the recipient of the 2015 Renee D. Chapman Memorial Award for Outstanding Contributions in Technical Services Law Librarianship is Brian Striman.
Brian is Professor of Law Library and Head of Technical Services and Catalog Librarian at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law Schmid Law Library. His extraordinary contributions and tireless efforts on behalf of technical services law librarians have impacted our profession in a lasting and positive way. Brian’s dedication, energy, and unique style are legendary among his colleagues in technicalservices law librarianship, among law librarians in general and the larger library community.
Brian’s service to the profession is an exemplar of dedication and leadership. He served as TS-SIS Chair in 2013/2014 and as OBS Chair in 1999/2000. He has served as a TS-SIS Member-at-Large and as Secretary. In addition, he has given his time and energy to numerous other SIS and AALL endeavors including previously chairing the TS-SIS and OBS-SIS Education Committees, serving on Nominating and Membership committees and on the AALL Annual Meeting Program Committee. AALL recognized Brian’s valuable contributions to the Association by honoring him with its 2009 Volunteer Service Award. All the while he has also been actively involved in the Mid-America Association of Law Libraries for many years, serving as President in 2005-2006 and as Editor-in-Chief of their quarterly publication since 2010.
Technical services law librarians have greatly benefited from Brian’s dedication to promoting research and publication opportunities. In addition to chairing and serving on several committees to investigate those opportunities for the community, Brian was the driving force behind the establishment of the OBS/TS Joint Research Grant. He started the jointly sponsored OBS/TS Research Roundtable and was the co-moderator for it at AALL annual meetings from 1992-1998. He was also the first editor of the “Research and Publications” column in Technical Services Law Librarian and served as editor/co-editor of the column from 1992-1998.
Brian has tirelessly and effectively advocated for better communication among technical services law librarians, promoting innovative tools and solutions to make it possible. He created TSLAWCHATS on Facebook as a venue for technical services law librarians, even those outside AALL, to chat and exchange ideas. Brian started a Twitter account for TS-SIS and was one of the original co-hosts of “The Law Librarian on Blog Talk Radio.” Additionally, he co-founded the popular RDA Café on Facebook, a resource that now has over 1,300 members from all types of libraries. In his five year tenure as Editor of Technical Services Law Librarian, he helped to transform the publication from a newsletter to a professional journal. He also successfully led TSLL‘s transition from print to online publication, resulting in significant cost savings for the sections.
His service to professional organizations goes above and beyond taking on active leadership roles. Brian has consistently proposed important programs for the AALL annual meeting. The list of sessions where he has presented or moderated is lengthy and impressive. He is known as a “go to” person for presenting, soliciting a speaker, or coordinating an effective program. He is well-regarded as a gifted presenter and educator. Many colleagues note that he is able to make the most boring of topics interesting and fun with his unique style and infectious enthusiasm.
The list of Brian’s accomplishments, contributions and leadership roles are too lengthy to list here. Put simply, as one colleague said, Brian’s involvement has benefited our profession. He is representative of the best of technical services law librarianship. The TS-SIS Awards Committee is pleased to recognize Brian Striman with this award.
Congratulations Brian!
2014-2015 TS-SIS Awards Committee
Jennifer Noga, Chair
Jim Braden
Sue Kelleher
Ted Pitts
George Prager
Lauren Seney
Lorna Tang
Antionette Vanterpool