Inside ASIS
Schrage to Keynote ASIS Mid-Year Meeting
Michael Schrage, popular author and consultant on topics related to
information technology innovations, will deliver the keynote address at the
1998 ASIS Mid-Year Meeting, May 17-20, in Orlando, Florida.
This year’s Mid-Year Meeting is convened under the theme of Collaboration
Across Boundaries: Theories, Strategies and Technology.
Schrage, a Merrill Lynch Forum Innovation Fellow, writes and consults
widely on the design and deployment of digital innovations. He is executive
director of Merrill Lynch’s Innovation Grant Competition and executive
producer of IDG’s Spotlight conference on interactive media. He explores
technology design issues as a research associate with MIT’s Media Lab.
Schrage’s ongoing work focuses on the role of prototypes, collaborative
worknets and organizational media to support innovation. His book about the
cultures of prototyping and simulation in business, Getting Real, will be
published by Harvard Business School Press.
The 1998 ASIS Mid-Year Meeting is being planned under the direction of
Technical Program Committee co-chairs Kristen Liberman, Ernst and Young;
and Diane Sonnenwald and Barbara Wildemuth, University of North Carolina.
The chairs note that a common corporate response to increasing global
competition, rapid technological development and decreasing resources is
the adoption of collaborative work practices to solve complex problems and
produce innovative products. Participants in this meeting will share
collaborative theories, strategies, technologies and outcomes.
Among the topics to be addressed are technologies that support
collaboration, collaborative work, collaboration in society, collaboration
in education, information seeking as a collaborative process, and theories
of collaboration.
Schrage is the author of the 1990 Random House publication Shared Minds:
The New Technologies of Collaboration, the first book to explore both the
tools and dynamics of successful collaboration in business, science and the
arts. An updated and revised paperback edition of this work was published
in 1995 as No More Teams by Doubleday Currency.
Schrage is also a co-creator of the Rockefeller Foundation’s Science for
Development Prize and of PF Magic’s best-selling line of Catz and Dogz
virtual pets.
A contributing editor to WIRED, Schrage has written for the Harvard
Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Red Herring, Fast Company, Forbes
ASAP and other publications. For six years, he wrote the internationally
syndicated “Innova tion” column for the Los Angeles Times, where he remains
a member of the Board of Advisers. He currently writes columns for
ComputerWorld, Marketing Computers and Luxe magazine.
Meeting Location
This year’s ASIS Mid-Year Meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn
International Drive Resort in Orlando. The facility is set on a 14-acre
tropical oasis with guest rooms divided among two-story resort buildings
and a hotel tower. All rooms are equipped with refrigerators, microwave
ovens and coffee makers and are available for $75, single or double. For
reservations, contact the Holiday Inn Resort, Orlando, FL Holiday Inn International Drive Resort at
407/351-3500.
The hotel, located just 20 minutes from Orlando International Airport, is
surrounded by over 50 shops and restaurants and provides complimentary
transfers to Universal Studios, Sea World and Wet ’n Wild. Walt Disney
World and Epcot Center are just minutes away.
Travel Arrangements
Conventions in America, the official ASIS travel organization, offers
5-10% off the lowest applicable fares on American Airlines and the lowest
available fare on any carrier. Travelers receive an additional 5% off for
tickets purchased at least 60 days prior to departure. For car rental, Avis
Rent-a-Car has special rates as low as $28.99/day or $98.99/week. Call
Conventions in America at 800/929-4242 and ask for Group #425 or visit the
Conventions in America Web site at http://www.scitravel.com
To book your preferences directly, call American Airlines at
800/433-1790, Starfile #578UE; Avis at 800/331-1600, AWD #J949007.
ASIS Announces New Award; Additional Sponsors
The prestigious ASIS Annual Awards, already highly prized by information
professionals throughout the world, received an additional boost at the end
of 1997 with the announcement of one new award and new award levels and
sponsorship for others.
For more information or for copies of complete guidelines for the ASIS Awards,
contact Michele Devine, 301/495-0900, mdevine@asis.org
The one new award is the ISI/ASIS Citation Analysis Research Grant,
co-sponsored by ASIS and the Institute for Scientific Information. The
purpose of the grant is to support research based on citation analysis by
encouraging and assisting individuals in this area of study with their
research. For the purposes of this award, citation analysis is broadly
defined, including but not limited to analyses using resources developed by
ISI. The Citation Analysis Research Grant consists of a $3000 cash award
and a $500 travel reimbursement to the ASIS Annual Meeting.
The following list represents awards for which the prizes have been
significantly increased and/or that have new levels of sponsorship. Full
nominating details for all ASIS Awards are included on the following pages.
The Best JASIS Paper Award, sponsored by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.,
publishers of the Journal on ASIS’ behalf: $1500 cash prize and $500 toward
travel expenses to the ASIS Annual Meeting.
UMI Doctoral Dissertation Award, sponsored by University Microfilms
International: $1000 cash prize and $500 toward travel expenses to the ASIS
Annual Meeting.
ISI Doctoral Dissertation Scholarship Award, sponsored by Institute for
Scientific Information: $1500 cash prize and $500 toward travel expenses to
the ASIS Annual Meeting.
Pratt-Severn Best Student Research Paper Award, sponsored by Pratt
Institute: $500 toward travel expenses to the ASIS Annual Meeting and full
conference registration.
Outstanding Information Science Teacher Award, sponsored by the Institute
for Scientific Information: $1000 cash prize and $500 toward travel
expenses to the ASIS Annual Meeting.
See the following story for nominating details, eligibility requirements
and deadlines for the 1998 ASIS Annual Awards.
Nominations Now Being Sought for 1998 ASIS Annual Awards
Research Award
The ASIS Research Award recognizes a systematic program of research in a
single area at a level beyond the single study and recognizes outstanding
research contributions that have had a significant and recent impact on the
field.
Eligibility: The award is open to all individuals in the field of
information science.
Nominations: Any person may nominate candidates for
the award.
Nomination Package: All nominations must include substantiating
documentation to demonstrate the nominee's record of research. Copies of
publications or other works may be included if they contribute to an
understanding of the nominee's work.
Deadline: June 1
Outstanding Information Science Teacher Award
This award, co-sponsored by the Institute for Scientific Information,
recognizes sustained excellence and the unique contributions of an
individual in the teaching of information science. The honor carries a cash
award of $1000 and up to $500 travel reimbursement to the ASIS Annual
Meeting.
Eligibility: Any individual directly involved in teaching some aspect of
information science on a continuing basis, regardless of ASIS membership,
is eligible.
Nominations: Nominations must be made by ASIS members.
Nomination Package: Nominating papers must include the nominee's name and
address, a 250-word statement of qualifications and nominee's 3-page resume
and should be accompanied by supporting evidence, letters of recommendation
and testimonials. Deadline: July 1
UMI Doctoral Dissertation (formerly Doctoral Forum)
The UMI Doctoral Dissertation honors outstanding achievements by
information scientists in the completion of dissertation projects. The
award consists of a $1000 cash award and $500 travel reimbursement to the
ASIS Annual Meeting.
Eligibility: All information scientists who have completed their
dissertations within the past year are eligible.
Nomination Package: Nomination packages must include a full dissertation in
reproducible format and a letter of endorsement from the dissertation
advisor. Deadline: June 1
ISI Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Scholarship
Co-sponsored by ASIS and the Institute for Scientific Information, this
scholarship fosters information science research by encouraging and
supporting doctoral students with their dissertation research. The award
consists of $1500 and $500 travel reimbursement to the ASIS Annual Meeting.
Eligibility: All active information science doctoral students enrolled in
institutions granting doctoral degrees are eligible. Students must have
completed all course work and have received acceptance of their
dissertation proposals.
Nomination Package: Include in 10 double-spaced pages or less a description
of the research; schedule for completion; budget and budget justification;
names of dissertation advisor and committee members; a letter of
endorsement from the student's advisor; and a curriculum vitae. Deadline:
July 1
Pratt-Severn Student Research Award
This award recognizes substantive work performed by students in the field
of information science and encourages research and writing. Since 1996 it
has been sponsored by Pratt Institute, School of Information and Library
Science, on behalf of the late David Severn, a 1968 Pratt Alumnus. The
award consists of $500 travel expenses and full registration for the ASIS
Annual Meeting.
Eligibility: Any student in a master’s degree-granting institution can
submit a paper that falls within the scope of the Journal of the American
Society for Information Science. Doctoral theses are not eligible.
Nomination Package: The author's name should not appear on the paper
itself. The author should be identified only in the accompanying cover
letter. The package should include endorsement of the paper by a faculty
member. Deadline: June 15
Best JASIS Paper Award
This award recognizes the best refereed paper published in the Journal of
the American Society for Information Science (JASIS) each year. Since 1997
it has been sponsored by John Wiley and Sons, Inc. The award consists of
$1500 and $500 travel reimbursement to the ASIS Annual Meeting.
Eligibility: All papers published in the volume year of JASIS preceding the
ASIS Annual Meeting are eligible for the award. ("Perspective" articles are
eligible). Authors need not be members of ASIS to be eligible for the award.
Nominations: No nomination procedure is used for this award. All eligible
papers are considered.
Award of Merit
The Award of Merit, ASIS' highest honor, is awarded annually to an
individual who has made significant contributions to the field of
information science, either through the expression of a new, revolutionary
idea; the development of better information dissemination techniques;
substantial research efforts; or outstanding service to the information
profession as evidenced by successful efforts in the educational, social or
political processes affecting the profession.
Eligibility: The award is open to all individuals in the field of
information science, regardless of nationality, membership in the Society
or other limiting factors.
Nominations: Any ASIS member may nominate candidates for the award. In
addition, nominations will be made by the Award of Merit Nominating
Committee.
Nominations Package: All nominations must be accompanied by substantiating
documentation to include the nominee's name, address, a biographical sketch
and a description of the particular work or works for which the nominee is
to be commended. Copies of publications or other works should be included
if they contribute to an understanding of the nominee's work and support
the nomination. Five complete copies of a nomination must be sent to HQ.
Deadline: July 1
Watson Davis Award
The Watson Davis Award recognizes an individual member of the Society who
has shown continuous dedicated service to the membership through active
participation in and support of ASIS programs, chapters, SIGs, committees
and publications.
Eligibility: Candidates must have been ASIS members for at least five
years. Prior Watson Davis Award winners, members of the Watson Davis Jury
and the Membership Committee Chair in the year that the award is given are
not eligible. Nominations may come from any member of the Society or
jointly by any chapter, special interest group, or any other official unit
of the Society.
Nomination Package: Each nomination must be accompanied by documentation
which includes at least the following: a letter of nomination with
supporting reasons for the choice of the candidate (specific information
about the quality and length of service of the nominee, with careful
consideration given to the words continuous, service and membership);
comprehensive list of the contributions of the member to ASIS; and
supporting letters of nomination that provide additional details on the
nominee's contributions to the Society. Deadline: July 15
Best Information Science Book Award
This award recognizes the best book published in the field of information
science the preceding year.
Eligibility: Any book in the broad area of information science is eligible.
Authors need not be ASIS members.
Nomination: Nominations are accepted from publishers and individuals,
regardless of ASIS membership.
Nomination Package: Publishers must submit two copies of each title being
nominated; individuals nominating books need not send copies of the books,
but should provide full bibliographic references for each title. Deadline:
June 1
ISI/ASIS Citation Analysis Research Grant
This grant supports research based on citation analysis by encouraging and
assisting individuals with their research. Citation analysis is broadly
defined, including but not limited to analyses using resources developed by
ISI. Because of the limits proposed by timing considerations, the grant may
be made for research underway as well as for new research proposed. The
grant consists of $3000 and $500 travel reimbursement to the ASIS Annual
Meeting.
Eligibility: Any individual is eligible without regard to nationality,
membership in the Society or other limitation. The Grant is a
once-in-a-lifetime award.
Proposals: Global proposals are sought and may be submitted by anyone.
Nominations should be mailed to ISI/ASIS Citation Analysis Research Grant,
ISI, 3501 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104.
Proposal Package: Include the following: name, address, affiliation and
brief biography of applicant(s); brief statement of the research problem
not to exceed a maximum of 1000 words (double-spaced); description of the
research design and methodology, including details of how citation data
will be used; discussion of the expected impact of the research results.
Proposals may be submitted in hard copy, e-mail or fax. Deadline: June 1
James M. Cretsos Leadership Award
This award recognizes a new ASIS member who has demonstrated outstanding
leadership qualities in ASIS activities.
Eligibility: Any ASIS member who has been a member for no more than seven
years (including years as a student member, if applicable) at the time the
award is made is eligible to receive the award. Prior winners of this
award, members of the current jury and the chair of the Leadership
Committee in the year that the award is given are not eligible.
Nominations: Nominations may come from any member of the Society.
Nomination package: Nominating letter; no more than two pages of data,
including name of the award; name, title, affiliation, address, telephone
number of nominee; name, title, affiliation, address, telephone number of
nominator; year the nominee joined ASIS; ASIS activities (SIG, chapter
and/or student chapter); participation in chapter programs; participation
in chapter or SIG publications; chapter/SIG projects; ASIS committees; and
recruitment/retention activities. No more than five letters of support and
no more than two supporting documents. Deadline: July 15
SIG/STI BIOSIS Student Award
The SIG/STI BIOSIS Student award recognizes an outstanding library and/or
information science student with an interest biological information. The
award consists of a cash grant funded by BIOSIS to provide partial support
for attendance at an ASIS Mid-Year or Annual Meeting.
Eligibility: Any student enrolled full-time or part time in a graduate
program in library and/or information science with a demonstrated interest
in biological information is eligible (full-time enrollment will be given
preference). ASIS student membership is not required.
Nomination Package: An application form should be completed and submitted
to SIG/STI. To receive an application form contact Kate McCain,
215/895-2486, by fax at 215/895-2492 or by e-mail: mccainkw@duvm.ocs.drexel.edu. Deadline: February 16
SIG/STI Chemical Abstracts Service Student Award
The SIG/STI CAS Student award recognizes an outstanding library and/or
information science student with an interest in chemical information. The
award consists of a cash grant funded by Chemical Abstracts Service to
provide partial support for attendance at an ASIS Mid-Year or Annual Meeting.
Eligibility: Any student enrolled full-time or part time in a graduate
program in library and/or information science with a demonstrated interest
in chemical information is eligible (full-time enrollment will be given
preference). ASIS student membership is not required.
Nomination Package: An application form should be completed and submitted
to SIG/STI. To receive an application form contact Kate McCain,
215/895-2486, by fax at 215/895-2492 or by e-mail: mccainkw@duvm.ocs.drexel.edu. Deadline: February 16
Chapter-of-the-Year Award
This award recognizes outstanding chapters for their contributions to ASIS
and the advancement of information science.
Eligibility: All ASIS chapters in good standing are eligible to receive
this award. There is no limit on the number of times a chapter may win the
award, and more than one chapter may win in a given year.
Nomination Package: Six copies of the Chapter Annual Activities Report and
Chapter-of-the-Year Criteria and Checklist and attached documentation.
Deadline: August 15
Chapter Member-of-the-Year Award
This award recognizes the service of an individual to a particular chapter.
It is given for significant contributions to the membership of the chapter
through participation in and support of its meetings and publications,
fund-raising, recruitment or other significant activities. This award
recognizes contributions at the local level.
Eligibility: Any ASIS member who is currently a member of the nominating
chapter is eligible to receive this award.
Nominations shall be solicited by mail from the chapter chairs by the
Chapter Assembly Director. Nominations can be made by any ASIS member, but
are to be associated with the nominee's activities in a particular chapter.
Nomination Package: Include a nominating letter with a 250-word description
of the contribution for which the person is nominated; the completed
Chapter Member-of-the-Year Nomination Form; no more than two letters of
support; no more than two supporting documents; and a 50-word citation
which may be used for publicity, if the person is chosen to receive the
award. Deadline: July 1
Chapter Event-of-the-Year Award
This award recognizes the best event held by a chapter (or jointly by two
or more chapters) during the previous year (July-June).
Eligibility: Any type of chapter event is eligible, including technical
programs, seminars, panels, workshops, CE courses, product exhibitions,
tutorials, fund raisers or other events. Joint events held with other
associations are also eligible.
Nomination package: Include a nominating letter which contains a 250-word
description of the event which is being nominated; name, address, phone
number and chapter name of the person who is submitting the nomination; no
more than two letters of support; no more than three supporting documents;
50-word citation which may be used for publicity, if the event is chosen to
receive the award. Deadline: July 1
Chapter Publication-of-the-Year Award
This award recognizes the best publication produced by a chapter (or
jointly by two or more chapters) during the previous year (July-June).
Eligibility: Any type of chapter publication is eligible, including
newsletters, meeting proceedings, directories or other publications. A
publication must be in a format that is readable/usable by the jury
members. Any electronic and/or self-published material should be sent to HQ
in order to be considered.
Nomination: No nominations procedure is used for this award. All chapter
publications produced in the award year are automatically eligible.
Student Chapter-of-the-Year Award
This award recognizes outstanding student chapters for participation in,
and contributions to, ASIS and the advancement of information science.
Eligibility: All ASIS student chapters in good standing are eligible to
receive this award. There is no limit on the number of times a student
chapter may win the award, and more than one student chapter may win in a
given year.
Nomination Package consists of the Student Chapter Annual Activities Report
and Student Chapter-of-the-Year Criteria and Checklist and attached
documentation shall comprise the nomination package. Deadline: July 31
SIG-of-the-Year Award
This award recognizes outstanding professional accomplishments and
activities of an ASIS Special Interest Group.
Eligibility: All active ASIS SIGs are eligible to receive this award. More
than one awardee may be chosen in a given year. The same SIG may receive
the award in consecutive years.
Nomination Package: SIG Annual Activities Report and SIG-of-the-Year
Criteria and Check-list and attached documentation. Deadline: August 15
SIG Publication-of-the-Year Award
This award recognizes the best publication produced by a SIG (or jointly by
two or more SIGs) during the previous year (July-June).
Eligibility: Any type of SIG publication is eligible, including
newsletters, transactions, directories or other publications. A publication
must be in a format that is readable/usable by the jury members. Any
electronic and/or self-published material should be sent to HQ in order to
be considered.
Nominations: Since the SIG publications are automatically submitted to ASIS
Headquarters, there is no formal nomination package for this award. ASIS
Headquarters shall provide copies of the eligible publications to the
members of the jury. Deadline: The first phase of the process shall be
completed by September 1
SIG Member-of-the-Year Award
This award recognizes the service of an individual to the program of a
particular SIG. It is given for significant contributions to the membership
of the SIG through participation in and support of its events at the Annual
and Mid-Year Meetings, its publications and its other activities.
Eligibility: Any ASIS member who is currently a member of the nominating
SIG is eligible to receive the award. More than one awardee may be chosen
in a given year. The same person may not receive the award in two
consecutive years.
Nomination package: A nominating letter, briefly describing the
contributions of the nominee to a specific SIG; list of the nominee's
contributions to current SIG activities, no more than two letters of
support; and no more than two documents illustrating the nominee's SIG
activities. Deadline: August 15
Awards will be presented at the ASIS Annual Meeting, October 25-29, in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, unless otherwise stated. Send nominations to ASIS
HQ addressed to "Name of the Award," unless otherwise stated. For more
information or for copies of complete guidelines for the ASIS Awards,
contact Michele Devine, 301/495-0900, mdevine@asis.org
News from ASIS Chapters
The Los Angeles Chapter of ASIS (LACASIS) joined forces with the Southern
California Chapter of the Special Library Association for their annual
holiday meeting in mid-December. JPL scientist Adrianna Ocamp Uria was
scheduled to discuss, “How Did the Dinosaurs Die?”
In Minnesota, the Minnesota Chapter of ASIS also joined with the local SLA
chapter for holiday merriment with an evening of good cheer and a
demonstration of the “Open Studio - The Arts Online” project. Open Studio
is an Internet system to increase arts and cultural presence on the ’Net.
The New England ASIS (NEASIS) Chapter and NENON scheduled a late January
return date for Ran Hock’s Extreme Searching Seminar, a look behind the
leading search engines to see how they are put together and how their
retrieval and ranking algorithms work. Hock, of Online Strategies, provided
a course booklet that serves as an ongoing reference aid.
News About ASIS Members
Marilyn Domas White, associate professor, College of Library and
Information Services, University of Maryland, is the recipient of the 1997
Information Science Abstracts (ISA) Research Grant for her project entitled
“The Literature of Information Ethics: An Assessment of Access.” The $1500
grant is awarded for a research project oriented toward the study of
primary or secondary literature of information science.
Ling Hwey Jeng, University of Kentucky, School of Library and Information
Science, is one of 50 candidates vying for 25 positions on the Council of
the American Library Association.
Kate Noerr, former CEO of IME, has been named Director of Sales and
Marketing at Geac Computers, Inc., Westborough, Massachusetts.
William M. Shaw, Jr., professor in the School of Information and Library
Science (SILS) at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, has been
named the first Frances Carroll McColl Professor. The two-year
professorship, funded by an endowment from Hugh L. McColl, Jr., chair of
NationsBank Corporation, is based on contributions to research, teaching
and service in the school, the university and the information professions.
Alexa T. McCray has been named director of the National Library of Medicine
Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communication. The center
supports and conducts research and development in health science
communication. McCray was previously chief of the center’s Cognitive
Science Branch.
Patricia Earnest has been appointed CLSA Program Coordinator for the
California State Library. For the past 15 years she held the position of
Technical Services and Automated System Manger for the Anaheim Public
Library. CLSA (California Library Services Act) distributes funds to local
libraries in California to further resource sharing and interlibrary
cooperation.
Clifford Lynch, Coalition for Networked Information, and Ed Fox, Virginia
Tech, are among the speakers scheduled for the 40th anniversary conference
of the National Federation of Abstracting and Indexing Services. Lynch will
update the audience on Internet technology; Fox will discuss digital
libraries.
Wilda B. Newman, information resources manager for the Administrative
Services Department, Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University,
is a candidate for director of the Special Libraries Association in the
upcoming balloting.
Ching-chih Chen, professor in the Graduate School of Library and
Information Science, Simmons College, is the chief conference organizer of
NIT ’98: 10th International Conference on New Information Technology to be
held in Hanoi, Vietnam, in March of this year.
Several ASIS members are among those scheduled to speak at an upcoming
meeting devoted to search engines. Search Engines and Beyond: Using New
Software Tools to Develop Knowledge Management Systems, April 1-2, in
Boston, includes presentations by Matthew Koll, Rockville, Maryland; Susan
Feldman, Datasearch, Ithaca, NY; Stephen E. Arnold, AIT, Harrods Creek,
Kentucky; Elizabeth Liddy, Syracuse University; and David Lewis, AT&T,
Floram Park, New Jersey.
Elaine Toms, Dalhousie University, is chair of the program committee for
the 26th Annual Conference of the Canadian Association for Information
Science. Among those joining her on the program committee are Jamshid
Beheshti and Andrew Large, McGill University; Pierrette Bergeron and Albert
Tabah, Universite de Montreal; Joan Cherry, University of Toronto; Michael
Nelson, University of Western Ontario; and Michael Shepherd, Dalhousie
University.
Among the members of the program committee for the Fifth International ISKO
Conference in Lille, France, are the following ASIS members: Hanne
Albrechtsen, Royal School of Library and Information Science, Copenhagen;
Carol Bean, Lister Hill Center for Biomedical Communications; Clare
Beghtol, Faculty of Information Studies, University of Toronto; Emilia
Curras, University of Madrid; Raya Fidel, University of Washington; Robert
Fugmann, ISKO; Rebecca Green, University of Maryland; Roland Hjerppe,
Linköping University, Sweden; Birger Hjorland, Royal School of Library and
Information Science, Copenhagen; Barbara Kwasnik, Syracuse University; Joan
S. Mitchell, OCLC Forest Press; Steven A. Pollitt, University of
Huddersfield, United Kingdom; Paul Solomon, University of North Carolina;
and Nancy Williamson, University of Toronto.
Stephen Robertson, currently professor of information systems in City
University London’s Department of Information Science and director of the
Centre for Interactive Systems Research, is moving to the research
laboratory recently set up by Microsoft in Cambridge. At Microsoft, he will
continue his research on the design and evaluation of information retrieval
systems.
News from Institutional Members
UMI and the National Library of Canada have announced an agreement giving
UMI rights to publish print and microform editions of doctoral
dissertations and masters theses written at universities throughout Canada.
The agreement also gives UMI potential rights to publish electronic
editions as well.
Obituaries
Phyllis Allen Richmond
Phyllis Allen Richmond, 76, professor emeritus at Case Western Reserve
University and an internationally recognized expert in classification, died
October 6 of complications from Alzheimer’s disease.
The 1972 winner of the ASIS Award of Merit, Ms. Richmond worked as a
librarian at the University of Rochester for 13 years and taught for one
year at Syracuse University before joining the Case Western Reserve faculty
in 1970. In the mid-1970s she received a fellowship to travel to England to
study the Precis indexing system developed for the British National
Bibliography.
Ben Weil
Benjamin H. Weil, longtime ASIS member and expert on copyright matters,
died at the age of 81 in Somerville, New Jersey, on December 30.
Mr. Weil was a chemical engineer at Exxon Research & Engineering Company
in Linden, NJ, for 25 years. Since retiring 15 years ago, he had been a
consultant in copyright compliance and modern information systems.
Throughout his career, he concentrated on information center management,
technical writing, editing and publishing.
In the mid-1970s, Mr. Weil helped to design and establish the Copyright
Clearance Center and served on its Board of Directors. He was also active
in numerous professional organizations, including, in addition to ASIS, the
American Chemical Society, National Federation of Abstracting & Information
Services and the Society for Scholarly Publishing.
Mr. Weil authored and edited hundreds of articles, papers and books,
including the ASIS monograph Modern Copyright Fundamentals, co-edited with
Barbara Polansky.
Contributions in Ben Weil’s honor may be sent to the Benjamin H. Weil
Memorial Fund, c/o Temple Emanu-El, 756 E. Broad Street, Westfield, NJ 07090.
John H. Sayer
John H. Sayer, ASIS member and prominent information systems consultant
who played a leading role in the technical and administrative direction of
many of the nation’s major information systems, died of heart failure at
the age of 80 at his home in Gaithersburg, Maryland, on December 14.
Among Mr. Sayer’s accomplishments are his leadership of the team that
developed the CPM method of planning and scheduling and of the team that
conceived and implemented the Securities and Exchange Commission Service.
He was also responsible for the design and implementation of the NASA
Scientific and Technical Information System and Space Data Program.
Mr. Sayer was the recipient of the Information Industry Association’s
first Information Product of the Year award for the Disclosure service, a
monthly publication containing indexes and abstracts of all filings with
the SEC.
Mr. Sayer held a series of supervisory and management positions with E.I.
Dupont over a 20-year period. After leaving Dupont, he held various
executive positions in a number of prominent consulting firms and was a
leading information systems consultant.