What is the James Partridge Outstanding African American Information Professional Award?    

Partridge first began in the library field in 1969 as a specialist at Maryland State Division of Library Development and Services (now the Maryland State Library Agency). In 1989, Partridge accepted the position of collection development librarian at the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (now the Maryland State Library for the Blind & Print Disabled), in which he served until his passing on May 19, 1998.

As a leader in the field of library outreach services and a true advocate for the right of all people to read and to learn, Partridge pioneered library services to detention centers, started literacy programs for people of all ages, and worked to provide library access for the blind and physically handicapped.

In February 1998, he received the first African-American Information Professional of the Year Award for Outstanding Service. Prior to this, Partridge’s exceptional lifelong dedication to advancing how libraries can serve the public went largely without recognition. Partridge died soon after receiving the honor, and the award was named in his memory.

To be eligible, a nominee must:

1. Be a graduate of an ALA-accredited Library and Information Science (LIS) program
2. Be employed at a library, archive, government agency, research center, LIS professional organization, or another type of information center at the time of the nomination
3. Have demonstrated sustained, high-quality service in support of the LIS field’s mission of providing access to information for all

The call for nominations, including detailed award criteria and the nomination process, is handled by the University of Maryland College of Information and can be found at the James Partridge Outstanding African American Information Professional Award page.

You may help fund the James Partridge Award with your tax-deductible gift. Mail your check, made payable to Citizens for Maryland Libraries. Address to Citizens for Maryland Libraries, P.O. Box 552, Ellicott City, Maryland 21043. Please note on the check, "Partridge Award."

Learn more about the award and perspectives of the recipients in the publication, Celebrating the James Partridge Award: Essays Toward the Development of a More Diverse, Inclusive, and Equitable Field of Library and Information Science, edited by Diane L. Barlow, and Paul T. Jaeger, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2016.