Timothy J. Dickey, Adult Services Librarian, Columbus Metropolitan Library, wins Margaret E. Monroe Award for Library Adult Services
Timothy J. Dickey was selected as the 2022 winner of the Margaret E. Monroe Library Adult Services Award, sponsored by NoveList. He has made great contributions to Library Adult Services, as a practicing librarian, author, LIS educator, and leader in professional service organizations. His book Library Dementia Services not only influences library professionals in the U.S., but can have world-wide significance as the population ages within society across the globe.
Timothy J. Dickey is a librarian and library science educator currently serving as Adult Services Librarian with the Columbus (OH) Metropolitan Library, where he passionately serves the information needs of his community. His responsibilities include adult reference and information services, collection management, community outreach and social programs, managing a virtual readers’ advisory service, committee assignments, and a wide variety of staff training and mentorship activities. He has worked with the Columbus Metropolitan Library since 2014.
A committed educator, Dr. Dickey also teaches the next generation of library professionals in the graduate programs at Kent State University and San José State University, with a current repertoire of courses in Reference, Research methods, Library technology, and Music and Humanities librarianship. Prior to assuming these positions, he worked with Dr. Lynn Silipigni Connaway at the OCLC Office of Research, with projects in user information research, data mining, and an IMLS grant project evaluating virtual reference services. He has also served the Westerville Public Library and the libraries of Amherst College, the University of Connecticut, and Duke University.
Dickey’s recent book, Library Dementia Services: How to Meet the Needs of the Alzheimer’s Community, was published by Emerald Press in 2020. The volume gives to librarians and information professionals everywhere the first complete handbook for library services to the 50 million people globally who are living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias, and the tens of millions further who are their caregivers. His synthesis of research and recommended best practices in customer service, reference services, collection development, and adult programming have also featured in his educational and training work for the ALA’s eLearning Division, LYRASIS, Niche Academy, and as invited guest speaker for state libraries and library cooperatives across the United States. Dickey’s extensive publication record features numerous articles throughout the library literature, a forthcoming chapter in the book How Public Libraries Build Sustainable Communities in the 21st Century, and presentations at many of the major national and international LIS conferences (ALA, PLA, ASIS&T, ALISE, Charleston Conference, Library Research Seminar).
In broader service to the library profession, he has been an active member of the Association for Information Science & Technology (Board of Directors, Chapter Assembly Director, Standards Committee co-chair, Midwest Chapter Chair, Information Professionals Task Force), the Association for Library & Information Science Education (Juried Paper Committee, Teaching Innovation Award Committee), the American Library Association, and the Public Library Association. He has been recognized as a 2021 (inaugural class) Distinguished Member of the Association for Information Science & Technology, and given an OCLC Spotlight Award for superior performance, a LITA/ Endeavor Student Writing Award, a Sidney Jackson writing award for an essay on intellectual freedom, and the inaugural Mary T. Kim Scholarship for Library Science at Kent State.
The Margaret E. Monroe Library Adult Services Award, sponsored by NoveList consists of $1,250 monetary prize and a citation.
The selection committee was Chaired by Chris LeBeau.