23 October 2000

NSW state librarian wins award

The New South Wales state librarian, Dagmar Schmidmaier, has been awarded a fellowship of the Australian Library and Information Association, which represents the library and information sector.

As head of the State Library, Dagmar has revitalised public events and exhibitions, redefined the position of the Mitchell Library within the organisation and justified the library's operations through soundly-based research.

Her 30-year career in libraries has been marked by innovation. She was an early pioneer of the application of information technology in public and private sector libraries and in the education of librarians and library technicians. Dagmar has made a particular contribution to the use of information technology in the libraries of New South Wales technical and further education (TAFE) and her knowledge of information technology, librarianship and education enabled her, in the eighties, to transform the delivery of library and information services to TAFE students throughout the state.

With another new fellow, Sydney University librarian John Shipp, she will be presented with the award at the biennial conference of the Association, held in Canberra this week.