Johannah Sherrer Memorial Lecture

The Aubrey R. Watzek Library is pleased to announce that Lizbeth (Betsy) Wilson, Dean of University Libraries at the University of Washington, Seattle, will present the 2009 Sherrer Lecture on Friday, September 25, 2009.

The Johannah Sherrer Memorial Lecture in Library Service was established in 1999 to commemorate the contributions and legacies of a respected friend, colleague, and champion of service.

Johannah Sherrer was the Director of the Aubrey R. Watzek Library at Lewis & Clark College from July 1993-September 1998.  Known for her warm smile, her boundless energy, vitality, and drive, her compassion and friendliness to all creatures great and small, and her devotion to service in all its connotations, Johannah Sherrer was a friend, a colleague, a mentor, and a champion of libraries.

Johannah came to Lewis & Clark in 1993 from Duke University where she served as Head of Reference.  She held positions as Coordinator of Reference Services and Collection Development and then Director of Public Services at the University of Northern Colorado.  She worked at the University of Dayton from 1970-1979, initially as Reference Librarian and then as Head of Reference.  While at the University of Dayton she received a master's degree in History and earlier had received her Master's in Library Science at the University of Kentucky and a bachelor's degree in American History at the University of Portland.

Johannah authored and co-authored numerous articles and book chapters and was a frequent speaker and panelist at library conferences.  She received the American Library Association's H.W. Wilson Library Periodical Award for Excellence in 1984 and the Media Award for Journalistic Contributions to Libraries in Colorado from the Colorado Library Association.  She chaired ALA's Professional Ethics Committee and several other committees at the national, regional, and state levels.  She served as the Chair of the Council of Librarians of PORTALS in 1994-1995 and was a member of that group as wellas the Orbis Council of Librarians.

Past Sherrer Lecture Presentations

"Aligning Academic Libraries with Real User Needs"

Susan Gibbons, 2008

"A Convergence of Pathways:  Re-imagining Image Collections for Tomorrow's Teachers and Learners"

Elisa Lanzi, 2007

"Peering Through the Net:  Student Perspectives on the Net Generation--A Panel Presentation"

Craig Beebe, Tyler Caffall, Charlotte Helmer, Mahria Lebow, Mindy Ross, Eric Valentine, 2006

"On the Same Path:  Faculty, Librarians, and IT Collaboration"

Susan L. Perry, 2004

"The Changing Face of Service:  A Panel Presentation"

Patricia Cutright, Victoria Hanawalt, John Helmer, Elaine Heras, Scott Smith, 2003

"Service in a Collaborative Way"

Joan K. Lippincott, 2002

"The Importance of Being Learned"

Elizabeth A. Dupuis, 2001

"The Fate of Service in an Increasingly Digital and Commercial World"

Jerry D. Campbell, 2000

"Service in a Complex Future"

Walt Crawford, 1999

If you are interested in contributing to the Johannah Sherrer Memorial Lecture Fund or to Watzek Library, you can do so through the College's Online Giving Form.

Please select "College of Arts and Sciences" under Gift Type and select "Other" on the pull-down menu.  Johannah Sherrer Memorial Lecture or Watzek Library can be entered in the box to the right of the pull-down menu.  Thank you.