Association Chapter Names Zappan Librarian of the Year
Susan Zappen, associate college librarian for collections, was named 2006 Librarian
of the Year by the Eastern New York Chapter of the Association of College and Research
Librarians (ENY-ACRL) at its spring conference. The award recognizes commitment to
service, professionalism, and accomplishment, and is presented to member librarians
who can serve as role models or who develop innovative policies or projects that benefit
their libraries, the region, or state.
In announcing Zappen's honor in the ENY-ACRL newsletter, Inga Barnello, chapter past
president, noted Zappen's service as acting college librarian at Skidmore during 200506,
while Librarian Ruth Copans was on sabbatical. Barnello cited Zappen's numerous presentations
and writings on serial collections and full-text databases, as well as her service
as treasurer of ENY-ACRL for three terms during the chapter's period of incorporation.
"Her stewardship of the financial aspects of this process kept the chapter in fine
stead," said Barnello, adding that Zappen has been "a leader, mentor, and an organized,
dedicated librarian."
Zappen joined the Lucy Scribner Library in 1995 as head of technical services, where
she administered all operations of the acquisitions, cataloging, and periodicals units
before being named associate college librarian for collections in 2001. She is responsible
for coordinating and evaluating the collection development and management activities
of the library faculty.
Zappen came to Skidmore after serving a decade at RPI's Folsom Library, where she
was acquisitions librarian, acting head of technical services, and acquisitions and
serials librarian. She earlier was a consultant at the University of Michigan Hospitals
(Ann Arbor) Educational Services for Nursing Library and also worked at Ellis Library
at the University of Missouri in Columbia and University of Detroit Library.
Said Zappen, "I feel truly honored to receive this award because I value the Eastern
New York Chapter of the ACRL, an organization that consistently holds relevant and
affordable conferences on current issues, provides opportunities for professional
involvement, and encourages networking among librarians, and reaches out to library
school students. I feel humbled to be added to a list of distinguished librarians
who have received this award." There are 228 members of the ENY Chapter; the ACRL,
the largest division of the American Library Association, has about 13,250 members.
A graduate of the University of Missouri, Columbia, where she earned bachelor's and
master's degrees, Zappen did graduate work at the School of Library Science at the
University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She has been active in regional professional
organizations, serving most recently as chair of the Capital District Library Council
Coordinated Collection Development Committee.
