As announced at the business meeting at the virtual annual conference on March 5, 2021, here are the recipients of the awards given by the Music Library Association.
MLA Diversity Scholarship
The MLA Diversity Scholarship Award offers candidates from under-represented groups the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree in library and information science (MLIS) with financial support.
The 2021 recipient of the MLA Diversity Scholarship is Mia Watts.
https://www.musiclibraryassoc.org/page/DiversityScholarship
Dena Epstein Award
The Dena Epstein Award supports research in archives or libraries internationally on any aspect of American music. This year’s recipients are:
John Bimbiras for his project on “Invisible Labor: Transnational Dominican Musicians in New York City during the Early to Mid-Twentieth Century”;
Clifton Boyd, for “The Role of Vernacular Music Theory in the Institution of Barbershop Music,” which responds to both the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements; and
Marc Rice, on the relationship between Black jazz and dance bands in Kansas City during the 1920s and the African-American business, social, and political organizations that supported them.
https://www.musiclibraryassoc.org/page/EpsteinAward
Vincent H. Duckles Award
The Vincent H. Duckles Award is the Music Library Association’s annual prize for the best book-length bibliography or reference work in music.
This year’s recipient is Laura K. T. Stokes for her book, Fanny Hensel: A Research and Information Guide, published by Routledge in 2019.
https://www.musiclibraryassoc.org/page/DucklesAward
Richard S. Hill Award
The Richard S. Hill Award is an annual award for the best article on music librarianship or article of a music-bibliographic nature.
This year’s Hill Award goes to Holling Smith-Borne for his article, “Creating a Welcoming and Inclusive Environment for Transgender and Gender Fluid Music Library Users,” which appeared in Music Reference Services Quarterly 22, no. 1-2 (2019): 18-29.
https://www.musiclibraryassoc.org/?HillAward
Eva Judd O’Meara Award
The Eva Judd O’Meara Award honors the best review published in Notes.
This year’s recipient is Marci Cohen for her review of Bloomsbury Popular Music (Notes 76, no. 1 (September 2019): 159-161).
https://www.musiclibraryassoc.org/?JuddOMearaAward
A. Ralph Papakhian Special Achievement Award
The A. Ralph Papakhian Special Achievement Award recognizes extraordinary service to the profession of music librarianship over a relatively short period of time.
The 2021 recipient is Katie Buehner, for her work as MLA Web Manager.