Outspoken Library Advocate, Mitch Freedman Wins Award

The New City Library is proud to announce that Director Maurice J. (Mitch) Freedman was awarded the Joseph W. Lippincott Award for 2014. Bestowed by the American Library Association, this honor recognizes distinguished service to the profession of librarianship. 

“The jury for the 2014 Joseph W. Lippincott Aware is delighted to honor Dr. Maurice J. (Mitch) Freedman,” said Lippincott Chair Patricia Glass Schuman. “Mitch is an outspoken and visionary leader and a tireless advocate for better salaries and pay equity for all library workers, and for the humanistic application of technology in libraries. His contributions have had profound and lasting impact on who we are, what we do, our values, and what our work is worth. He has literally changed the way librarians talk about our libraries and our profession.”

Among the many achievements cited by those who wrote in support of the nomination was his visionary leadership. Dr. Freedman’s tireless advocacy for socially responsible cataloging and library technologies and processes has had immeasurable impact on our profession, nationally and internationally. He has been chosen as consultant and speaker for the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Information Service and other auspices in close to 30 countries on five continents. For example, he led a team to design a resource sharing and online information network for the eight largest research libraries in Latvia. In addition, the report he wrote for the Pusan (Korea) National University Library is considered “legendary” at the 
university’s library school and is required reading for the school’s library management course.

Dr. Freedman’s ardent advocacy for those who work in libraries has had world-wide impact. Before his sharp focus on salary issues during his time as American Library Association President, many in the Association viewed discussions about improving compensation for librarians and library workers as self-serving. His intense concentration on this issue resulted in tools, training and advocacy programs that have helped to make the conversation about fair pay and improved status for library workers acceptable — and welcome. In fact, the establishment of the APA (Allied Professional Association) followed his presidency.

Freedman is a prolific author and has been an in-demand speaker for decades on topics including cataloging, information technology, salaries and jazz CDs. His career included important management positions at the Library of Congress, Information Dynamics Corp., the Hennepin County (Minn.) Library, the New York Public Library as well as the Westchester Library System and currently the New City (N.Y.) Library. He taught in the library and information science programs of Columbia University, Pratt 
Institute and Rutgers University and lectured at numerous library schools in the U.S. and internationally.

There will be an official award ceremony at the American Library Associates 2014 conference in Las Vegas this summer.