Williamson Award Recipients

The 2020 Robert D. Williamson Award goes to Anna Raunik from the State Library of Queensland.

VALA’s most prestigious award is the Robert D. Williamson Award. This award is in memory of one of the early pioneers of our industry, Bob Williamson. This biennial award is also presented to an individual or organisation who or which, in the opinion of the judging panel, has made and is currently making an outstanding contribution to the development of information technology usage in Australian libraries and is positively and significantly influencing development in information technology usage within libraries.

Williamson Award 2002

The 2002 Robert D. Williamson Award went to Hans Groenewegen from Monash University for his outstanding contribution to librarianship especially in the area cooperative automated cataloguing systems.

The 2002 Robert D. Williamson Award Citation for Hans Groenewegen reads as follows.

VALA’s most prestigious award is the Robert D. Williamson Award, which is in memory of one of the early pioneers of our industry, Bob Williamson. This biennial award is presented to an individual or organisation who or which, in the opinion of the judging panel, has made and is currently making an outstanding contribution to the development of information technology usage in Australian libraries and is positively and significantly influencing development in information technology usage within libraries.

The recipient of the Robert D. Williamson Award for 2002 has practiced as a librarian in Victoria, in New South Wales and in Europe. He has worked for public librares, for special libraries, for a university library and for a library consortium. He has been a Library Assistant, a Systems Analyst, and a Library Manager.

His library automation experience started with databases and database systems, grew with the development and use of a variety of information systems, and most recently leapt forward into the realms of electronic publishing and virtual libraries. A number of the systems he has developed, worked with and nurtured, have been cooperative systems. One of the first was a cooperative system for the storage and dissemination of information for a special library – perhaps one of the earliest database systems in the library world.

A decade later he oversaw the implementation of a regional Union Catalogue, managed a cooperative automated cataloguing system and a library network. Even as a Library Assistant in the early 1970s he was closely involved in the development of new information processing techniques, such as optical character recognition, computerised photocomposition, and online real time information retrieval systems. At the time these were all revolutionary developments.

For the past decade he has played a leading role in managing the transition of a major university library from a purely print-based institution to one which has become increasingly digital. These developments have included the first CD-ROM network for the University, the University’s Campus Wide Information System (the predecessor of the Web), electronic publishing, a pilot e-reserve project, and a Digitisation Centre.
In addition he has become an expert on the economic, legal and copyright issues of e-publishing, as well as the issues relating to preservation and conservation.

He has published extensively, presented a wide variety of papers and served on the VALA Committee for a number of years, including a term as President. He has taught an online course in Information Management and Systems.

The public library was the Public Library of New South Wales, the special libraries the Australian Atomic Energy Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, the library consortium was CAVAL, the regional catalogue was COOL-CAT and the university is Monash University.

This award publicly acknowledges the outstanding contribution he has made to the development of information technology usage in Australian libraries, to his significant influence on the development of information services and his services to the profession. The fact that he is here at this VALA Conference is testament to the fact that although he has retired he will continue to make a contribution.

It is with great pleasure that VALA announces the winner of the 2002 Robert D.Williamson award – Hans Groenewegen.

Williamson Award 2000

The 2000 Robert D. Williamson Award went to Derek Whitehead from Swinburne University for his outstanding contribution to librarianship.

The 2000 Robert D. Williamson Award Citation for Derek Whitehead reads as follows.

The recipient of the R.D. Williamson Award for 2000 has enjoyed a long and distinguished career in library and information services, despite having entered the field after a change of career. Starting in technical services in the seventies he has been witness to, and part of, many of the technological innovations that have made library services what they are today. At the same time his career has been marked by an abiding interest in facilitating information access in the broadest sense.

During the eighties he pursued his professional interests to national and international levels, developing a reputation as a key player in the national library scene and long term lobbyist for libraries. A member of many and varied committees, he also found time to complete a Master of Librarianship on library management issues and has occupied senior library posts since 1988.

This year’s recipient is highly regarded for his professional vision and his capacity to sense, and act upon, emerging trends in the library profession. His long experience in lobbying governments, both state and federal, and the private sector, together with his success in forging working partnerships have led to his playing a central role in the development and use of new technology by libraries across Victoria. This is best demonstrated by his pivotal involvement with Australia’s most significant community networking enterprise and his efforts to achieve Internet access throughout the Victorian public library system, again underlining his commitment to equity and access.

Launched in 1995, VICNET has proved to be a unique achievement both within Australia and internationally. It is Australia’s largest and busiest community web site, playing host to over 200 virtual Web servers and nearly 2000 Websites for Victoria’s community groups, while attracting around 10 million hits per month. A commercial operation of the State Library of Victoria, VICNET generated a turnover of $1.7 million in 1998/99. It has also provided the foundation for innovative projects such as Skills.Net and Libraries Online. A $5 million program, Skills.Net is creating a network of more than 100 community-based centres throughout Victoria to provide free or affordable Internet access and training to those Victorians who would otherwise miss out. The result of a far-reaching policy document developed by the recipient, the Libraries Online program has helped to advance the goal of an integrated Victorian library system, increasing access to online communications, information resources and multimedia computers.

His collaborative approach also led to the formation of the Artsvicmm group, bringing together arts organisations to discuss the latest developments in digital technology and multimedia. Beginning with the State Library and the Museum of Victoria it now includes representatives from 8 organisations and 3 government agencies. In 1998 this group ran a major research project, ZAVIER, utilising the Z39.50 standard to allow cross searching of paticipating institutions catalogues. He was also instrumental in the digitisation of the State Library’s pictorial collection and subsequent participation in the Image Search project, allowing searches of distributed image collections from a single site.

In addition he has been a member of ABN Network Committee, the Information Society Committee, the Victorian Government IT and Telecommunications Policy Committee, convenor of the CAVAL Digitising Working Group, chair of the Digital Access and Preservation Task Force and a member of the ABA’s Task Force on Children and the Internet, and the board of Net Alert – the Commonwealth Government community advisory board on Internet content.

For his involvement over time with many aspects of library automation, his efforts in lobbying and promotion and his influence on the conception and development of several major automation projects, this year’s recipient of the R.D. Williamson Award is Derek Whitehead.

Williamson Award 1983

The 1983 Robert D. Williamson Award went to Mr Ian McCallum from ACI Computer Services.

The 1983 Robert D. Williamson award citation:

Mr Ian McCallum, of ACI Computer Services, was awarded the 1983 Robert D. Williamson Award in recognition of his efforts in the development of AUSINET. The award also recognised Ian’s work at the National Library with the Online ERIC project, and at ACI in new product development in the information area, as well as his involvement with with the Australian Database Development Association.

The certificate and a cheque for $550 were presented by Mrs Enid Williamson at the VALA Conference dinner, held at the Windsor Hotel.

It is with great pleasure that VALA announces the winner of the 1983 Robert D.Williamson award – Mr Ian McCallum.

Williamson Award 1985

The 1985 Robert D. Williamson Award went to Hans J Zwillenberg. The Award which he won from 10 others considered by the Committee acknowledges his contribution to the development of Information Science in Australia.

The 1985 Robert D. Williamson Award Citation for Hans J Zwillenberg reads as follows.

Important steps in this country’s information science development were achieved by Hans’ involvement in ADSATIS (Australian Defence Scientific and Technical Information Service), in the Defence Information Exchange Agreement between Australia, the US and the UK, and, with Barbara McDonough from the Defence Group Libraries, his organising of Australia’s first exercise in resource sharing.

Hans produced a Directory of Information Sources fro Industry and also worked on the industry information network, preparing the first directory of computer-based information services available to the public in Australia.

In the National Library he became the Director, Technology and set up the Australian Industry Information Network Liaison Committee.

Hans’ activities have ranged beyond his profession. As well as conferences and meetings associated with information science he has also developed his keen interest in military history.

The cash award of $550, plus a framed certificate were presented to Hans by Mrs Enid Williamson at the VALA Conference dinner held the Melbourne Town House in November 1985.

It is with great pleasure that VALA announces the winner of the 1985 Robert D.Williamson award – Hans Zwillenberg.