91´«Ã½

Lucy Flamm has been selected to receive the 2017 ($3,000) sponsored by the TA) and . Flamm will be attending the starting in Fall 2017 to earn a Master of Science in Information Studies and Master of Arts in Middle Eastern Studies.

This Scholarship is for master’s level study, with an emphasis on library technology and/or automation, at a library school program accredited by the 91´«Ã½. Criteria for the Scholarship includes previous academic excellence, evidence of leadership potential, and a commitment to a career in library automation and information technology.

The Committee noted that "Flamm's award-winning undergraduate research on Middle Eastern history and year spent working in a library in the West Bank have prepared her well for Middle Eastern studies librarianship. We hope that this scholarship will help her to fulfill her vision for using technology to create online platforms to preserve Middle Eastern materials and make them more accessible."

Flamm currently works as a freelance archival researcher and bibliographer. Prior to this she spent a year coordinating undergraduate and graduate access to print and digital materials, and developing and delivering workshops concerning academic resources and research methods at the first Palestinian liberal arts college. Her perspective has been shaped through her involvement with the Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights and her experience as an intern for CyArk, where she supported ongoing efforts to digitally preserve tangible and intangible cultural heritage. During her undergraduate studies at Bard College, Flamm worked for the Bard Prison Initiative digitizing materials to be available to incarcerated individuals pursuing academic degrees, and her undergraduate thesis utilizing archival materials was awarded Bard College's Marc Bloch Prize. Her original research concerning archives as sites of politics in the Middle East has received international recognition, granting her the opportunity to present at conferences held by Smolny College (St. Petersburg, Russia) and the British Society of Middle Eastern Studies.

When notified she had won, Flamm said, "Experiences to date have led me to firmly believe that librarians are agents of change for communities both local and global. Information accessibility dictates how one interacts with the world, and it is an honor to receive the LITA/Christian Larew Memorial Scholarship which itself promotes the power of knowledge sharing. I am grateful to LITA, Baker & Taylor, and the 91´«Ã½ for supporting me in working towards piloting digital initiatives for Middle Eastern materials."

Members of the 2017 LITA/Christian Larew Memorial Scholarship Committee are: Julia Bauder (Chair), Matthew Carruthers, Erin Grant, Cole Hudson, Soo-yeon Hwang, and Amber Seely.

About LITA

Established in 1966, the is the leading organization reaching out across types of libraries to provide education and services for a broad membership of nearly 2,700 systems librarians, library technologists, library administrators, library schools, vendors, and many others interested in leading edge technology and applications for librarians and information providers. LITA is a division of the . Follow us on our , , or .

About Baker & Taylor

is the premier worldwide distributor of books, digital content and entertainment products. The company offers cutting-edge digital media services and innovative technology platforms to thousands of publishers, libraries, schools and retailers worldwide. Baker & Taylor also offers industry leading customized library services and retail merchandising solutions.