1:38 p.m., Oct. 7, 2009----Sharon K. Epps, a 2004 graduate of the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Delaware and a former staff member at the UD Library, is the winner of the 2009 Johns Hopkins University Press Award for the best article in the most recent volume of the journal portal: Libraries and the Academy.

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The journals division of the JHU Press and portal's editorial board awards committee chose Epps' article “African American Women Leaders in Academic Research Libraries,” which appeared in July 2008.

“I was pleasantly surprised, because I had no idea my article would be considered for the award,” Epps said. “I am very pleased.”

The article identified the attributes, knowledge and skills that African-American women need to succeed as leaders at Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member institutions.

The research, which Epps conducted while she was getting her master of public administration degree at UD, found that African-American women do not need different skill sets than non-minority library directors to be successful, but they may need additional attributes or more of certain attributes to overcome stereotypes and successfully navigate predominantly white academic research library environments.

Epps worked at the UD Library from 1996-2006, serving as the Pauline A. Young Resident and Affiliate Librarian from 1996-98 and as the coordinator of circulation and reserves in the access services department from 1998-2006. Currently, she is the head of access services at the University of Maryland libraries.

Epps said she wanted to thank a number of UD faculty members for their encouragement and support throughout the her career, including Kathryn Denhardt, professor in the School of Urban Affairs; Susan Brynteson, vice provost and May Morris Director of Libraries; Nancy Nelson, library head; and librarians Julie Brewer and Carol Rudisell.

Article by Jon Bleiweis