Peggy Sullivan

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Name Peggy Sullivan

Women in Leadership Peggy Sullivan

Peggy Sullivan, is an American librarian and educator. She currently resides in Chicago, Illinois, and works as a Library Consultant. She specializes in executive searches, primarily in public libraries.

Biography

Throughout her career, Sullivan has served as:

Dean, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Rosary College, River Forest, Illinois (1995-1997)

Executive Director, American Library Association, Chicago, Illinois (1992-1994)

Director and Professor, University Libraries, Northern Illinois University, De Kalb, Illinois (1990-1992)

Dean and Professor, College of Professional Studies, Northern Illinois University, De Kalb, Illinois (1981-1992)

Assistant Commissioner, Chicago Public Library, Chicago, Illinois (1977–1981)

From 1952 to 1977, Sullivan held positions of increasing responsibility in public and school libraries, directed the national Knapp School Libraries Project (1963–1968), and was on the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Chicago in their library education programs. She also taught on part-time, summer or interim bases at six other library education programs (the University of Maryland, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Syracuse University, the Catholic University of America, Drexel University, and Rosary College) and directed the American Library Association’s Office for Library Personnel Resources.

Highlights of Sullivan’s career include: President of ALA’s Children’s Services Division (now the Association for Library Services to Children – ALSC) (1976–1977), Chair Centennial Celebration of the American Library Association (1976), assistant commissioner for extension services at the Chicago Public Library (1977–1981), ALA president (1980–1981), ALA executive director (1992–1994), Dean of the LIS Program at Rosary College (now Dominican University), Dean of the College of Professional Studies at Northern Illinois University, and numerous university teaching positions. Sullivan served as director of the Knapp School Libraries Project (1963–1968). This project had great national impact on convincing the public of the need for high quality school library media programs.

Furthermore, Sullivan was the 1991 recipient of ALA’s Joseph W. Lippincott Award, and is an alumnus of both Catholic University and Clarke College. In 2004, Sullivan established the Sullivan Award for Public Library Administrators. This award is presented annually to an individual who has shown exceptional understanding and support of public library service to children while having general management/supervisory/administrative responsibility that has included public library service to children in its scope. She also presents the Sullivan Award to a faculty member in the NIU College of Health and Human Sciences (formerly the College of Professional Studies, where she was dean) for achievement in research. It is presented every fall on the NIU campus.

Education

Ph.D., University of Chicago, 1972

M.S. in L.S., Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, 1953

Thesis:(1953). Work of public libraries with trade unions in the United States.

B.A., Clarke College, Dubuque, IA, 1950

Publications

Carl H. Milam and the American Library Association (H. W. Wilson, 1976) ISBN 0824205928

*Public Libraries: Smart Practices in Personnel, with William H. Ptacek (Libraries Unlimited, 1978) ISBN 0872872785

Opportunities in Library and Information Science (Vocational Guidance Manuals, 1977) ISBN 089022224X (Sullivan had varying responsibilities for later editions of this title with various publishers)

Problems in School Media Management (Bowker, 1972) ISBN 0835204278

Many Names for Eileen (Follett, 1969) ISBN 0695455214

The O’Donnells (Follett, 1956)

More than 100 articles on various aspects of librarianship, education, administration, and history. 1958 and continuing

Reviews of books and other media, also numbering in excess of 100, for a variety of educational and library publications, as well as for The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Post, and The Chicago Tribune

Recognitions and Special Assignments

UNESCO Consultant on School Libraries, Australia, 1970

President, American Library Association, 1980–1981. Theme: "Libraries and the Pursuit of Happiness."

Numerous committee appointments and elective offices in the American Library Association, 1959 and continuing, including the presidency of the Children’s Services Division, 1976–1977, and membership on the ALA Council

Distinguished Service Award, Association for Library Service to Children, 2000

Lippincott Award, American Library Association, 1991

Distinguished Alumnus Award, School of Library and Information Science, Catholic University of America

Distinguished Alumnus Award, Clarke College,

Honors Award, High School Section, Catholic Library Association

Inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who in America and its various regional and special publications

Consultancies relating to seminary libraries, fundraising, personnel management, faculty development, library education curriculum, library facilities planning, and general educational and library issues provided to a range of institutions and agencies, including the National Endowment for the Humanities, the New York Public Library, the Ford Foundation, the Lilly Foundation, and the US Department of Education

Vice President and Program Chair, Caxton Club of Chicago, 2001–2002

Treasurer, Chicago Literary Club, 2006–2007

Consulting assignments and the presentation of speeches, workshops, storytelling programs, as well as participation in ALA accreditation of library education programs have taken Peggy Sullivan to every one of the fifty US states and every continent except Antarctica (which she visited on her own).

Committee appointments in the Illinois Library Association, the Catholic Library Association, the Association of College and Research Libraries, the Library Administration Division of the American Library Association, and the American Association of School Librarians

Donor, the Sullivan Award for Public Library Administrators, American Library Association, 2004 and continuing annually

ALA Honorary Member

In 2008, Peggy Sullivan was named Honorary Member of the American Library Association. Sullivan, a library consultant, was nominated in recognition of over 50 years of dedicated librarianship during which she wrote the definitive scholarly history of the tenure of Carl Milam (ALA secretary 1920-1946) and the growth of the American Library Association to an international organization.

Peggy Sullivan is the only Honorary Member to have a giant image of her book on a parking garage in the Kansas City Library District. The facade includes her 1956 children’s book, The O’Donnells, as a title on the Community Bookshelf.

The official resolution is as follows:

Whereas, Dr. Peggy Sullivan has dedicated over 50 years to the field of librarianship, and

Whereas, Dr. Peggy Sullivan served as director of the Knapp School Libraries Project, which had great national impact on convincing the public of the need for high quality school library media programs; and

Whereas, Dr. Peggy Sullivan wrote the definitive scholarly history of the tenure of Carl Milam (ALA Secretary 1920-1946) and the growth of the American Library Association to an international organization; and

Whereas, Dr. Peggy Sullivan was the 1991 recipient of ALA’s Joseph W. Lippincott Award for distinguished service to the profession of librarianship; and

Whereas, Dr. Peggy Sullivan’s wide-ranging career includes such highlights as President of ALA’s Children’s Services Division (now the Association for Library Service to Children – ALSC), Assistant Commissioner for Extension Services at the Chicago Public Library, ALA President, ALA Executive Director, Dean of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Rosary College (now Dominican University), Dean of the College of Professional Studies at Northern Illinois University, various international assignments, and numerous administrative, library, and university teaching positions; now, therefore, be it Resolved, that in recognition of over 50 years of dedicated service to the profession of librarianship, Dr. Peggy Sullivan be awarded the highest honor this Association can bestow, Honorary Membership in the American Library Association.

Adopted by the Council of the American Library Association

January 15, 2008

Keith Michael Fiels

Secretary of the Association

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

References

Peggy Sullivan Wikipedia

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