91´«Ã½

Daniel P. O’Mahony, Brown University Library, has been chosen as the 2005 recipient of the LexisNexis/GODORT/91´«Ã½ “Documents to the People” Award. This award is a tribute to an individual, library, institution, or other non-commercial group that has most effectively encouraged the use of government documents in support of library service. Dan began his work in government documents as a Library Technical Assistant in 1984. He progressed into a national leader in the field – contributing greatly to documents librarianship and the development of federal information policy.

The decade of the 90’s witnessed many challenges to the traditional dissemination of government information. Central to many of these initiatives was the incorporation of electronic government information into the Federal Depository Library Program and the resulting impact these endeavors had on Title 44 of the U.S. Code. Beginning with the pioneering efforts of the DuPont Circle Group, then the Chicago Conference on the Future, and continuing through the Inter-Association Working Group on Government Information Policy (IAWG), Dan was an integral member, and usually the driving force behind each of these efforts. Dan’s sharp analytical skills and unparalleled attention to detail coupled with his ability to embrace new concepts and technologies made him the ideal candidate to lead the depository library community during this time. To say that he thrust his heart and soul into these projects would be an understatement of grand proportions.

Dan is a proven leader with the 91´«Ã½ GODORT community and beyond. He chaired the Depository Library Council (1995-96), GODORT’s Legislation Committee (1996-97), the IAWG (1997-99) and 91´«Ã½’s Government Information Subcommittee (1997-2001). Under his skillful leadership, the IAWG did substantive work in drafting legislation with staff of the Joint Committee on Printing to reform Title 44 of the U.S. Code. In his capacity as chair of the DLC and IAWG, he testified before the Senate Rules Committee twice on behalf of the depository library community. As both a member and Chair of GODORT’s Legislation Committee, Dan helped craft countless resolutions defining the guiding principles supporting public access to government information.

Prior to his promotion in 2003 to Department Leader, Library Administrative Services, Dan was coordinator for the Brown University Library’s government documents services. Since 2003, he has continued to pursue his commitment to government information policy by serving on state and regional documents groups. Perhaps his most important current contribution to our profession, though, is his position since 2002 as an Adjunct Professor teaching the online government documents course for the University of Rhode Island, Graduate School of Library and Information Studies. His students are, not surprisingly, thoroughly versed in the issues, curious as to the real life activities of a librarian/lobbyist, and articulate in debating policy questions.

Although Dan no longer works directly with government documents, this award is a long-overdue recognition of his many contributions to the advancement of government information. He was in the right place at the right time and through his unselfish and unassuming leadership during a time of controversy and change, all stakeholders in the life cycle of government information are the beneficiaries.