MEDIA RELEASES

Leighton Shell, a resident of Berwyn, received the 2007 Illinois Library Association’s Crosman Memorial Award at the Illinois Library Association’s annual conference in Springfield in October. Leighton is a graduate of Dominican University’s Graduate School of Library and Information Science.

Shell is the digital collections’ librarian at the Pritzker Military Library, a private research library in Chicago with collections of historical, reference, biographical and rare books on military subjects, original antique military posters and prints, and other military artifacts. Shell has been instrumental in making the library a national resource through podcasting and web-based technology. His podcasts have brought a significant increase in traffic to the library’s website, which brings presentations by renowned historians and oral histories to a world-wide audience. He also has developed interactive multimedia installations in gallery exhibits and on the web through the library’s online catalog.

The Crosman Award recognizes the achievements of library workers who are new or relatively new to the field, encouraging continued involvement in the library and information science profession. It is named in memory of Alex Crosman, former director of the Peoria Public Library, who was instrumental in forming the Illinois Library Association’s Junior Members Round Table.

Accredited by the American Library Association, Dominican University’s GSLIS has been educating future library leaders and information professionals since the 1930s. The school offers master’s degrees in library and information science and in knowledge management.

Founded in 1901, Dominican University is a comprehensive, coeducational Catholic institution offering bachelor’s and master’s degrees. In the 2008 issue of America’s Best Colleges, U.S. News & World Report again ranked Dominican University in the top tier of Midwest master’s level universities and as a “best value” for the tenth consecutive year.