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Bailey Library Director Receives Arkansas Library Association’s Distinguished Service Award

CONWAY, Ark. (October 2, 2018) – Britt Anne Murphy, director of Bailey Library and librarian for Hendrix College, on September 23 received the Distinguished Service Award from the Arkansas Library Association. The award recognition took place during the organization’s annual conference in Rogers.

First presented in 1979, the award recognizes distinguished service in librarianship, such as continuing service to the Arkansas Library Association, outstanding achievement in a specific area of librarianship, active participation in library affairs, and notable published professional writing. Previous recipients have included directors of major library systems and several State Librarians of Arkansas.

“We are proud of Britt Murphy’s selection for the Arkansas Library Association’s Distinguished Service Award,” said Dr. David Sutherland, associate provost and professor of mathematics at Hendrix. “We appreciate her expertise and experience in leading our library through the complex changes involved in the digital age.”

Murphy has been a member of the Arkansas Library Association since 1998 and has served on the Executive Board as editor of the Association’s journal, Arkansas Libraries, since 2003. She has also chaired and served on a number of committees in the organization, including the Strategic Planning Committee and the Academic Librarians’ Survey Committee.

“I’m honored to be recognized by my fellow library professionals, any one of whom could also have been the recipient of this award,” Murphy said. “I’m indebted to the Arkansas Library Association for making incredible contacts throughout my 20-year career in Arkansas, including the late Peggy Morrison, a fellow librarian at Hendrix, and Amanda Moore, a former director of Bailey Library. I’m also grateful to Hendrix for its support of my professional development. That support has been critical and has allowed me to devote time to worthy endeavors such as the Arkansas Library Association. I hope to continue strengthening the Association and encouraging librarians new to the state and profession to become involved.”

About Hendrix College

A private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix College consistently earns recognition as one of the country’s leading liberal arts institutions, and is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges. Its academic quality and rigor, innovation, and value have established Hendrix as a fixture in numerous college guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876, Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. To learn more, visit www.hendrix.edu.