CHICAGO — The Library History Round Table has awarded Nicola Wilson the 2013 Justin Winsor Prize. The award, $100 and a certificate, is presented annually to the author of an outstanding essay embodying original historical research on a significant subject of library history. The winning essay will be considered for publication in Information & Culture: A Journal of History. The award is named in honor of the distinguished 19th century librarian, historian and bibliographer who was also ALA’s first president.

Wilson received the award for her essay “Boots Book-Lovers’ library, the Novel, and James Hardy’s The Furys (1935).”  The award committee especially appreciated the creative, effective use of primary sources, and the focus on an understudied type of library: the subscription library of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  The author expertly weaves together aspects of social and cultural history and touches on an advancing area of research in LIS history, LGBT issues and censorship.  This essay appeals to those interested in histories of readership, authorship and print culture as well as libraries. 

The award committee is happy to note that the winning essay was chosen from a strong pool of essays, focused on diverse, important areas of research in library history.

The Library History Round Table of the American Library Association exists to facilitate communication among scholars and students of library history, to support research in library history, and to be active in issues, such as preservation, that concern library historians. The round table sponsors conferences, publishes a newsletter and presents awards such as the Justin Winsor Award to promote excellence in library history research.

More information on the Library History Round Table is available at our website: http://www.ala.org/lhrt.