The Special Libraries Association (SLA) Kentucky Community recently recognized the career achievements of Jennifer A. Bartlett, Oral History Librarian at UK Libraries Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, with the 2022 Larry Besant Professional Award.
The Besant Award honors the excellence and professional commitment of SLA chapter members who have made significant contributions to the field of librarianship through book and article publications, major conference presentations, and active participation in the promotion of the library profession.
Jen’s career has been marked by precisely this commitment to excellence. She has served on numerous committees across international, national, and regional librarianship associations; presented at major international, national, and regional conferences, including several invited presentations; and authored Knowledge Management: A Practical Guide for Librarians (2021) and co-authored Libraries that Learn: Keys to Managing Organizational Knowledge (2019), along with many articles and book reviews.
Jen also serves as co-editor of Practical Academic Librarianship: The International Journal of the SLA Academic Division and was recently named editor-in-chief of Kentucky Libraries.
“Being selected for the Larry Besant Professional Award is a real honor,” said Jen. “Although I never had the privilege to meet Larry, I’ve heard many stories of his commitment to his staff, library patrons, and colleagues during a long and distinguished career in special and academic libraries.”
The SLA Kentucky Community renamed the award in 2012 to honor Larry Besant, a long-standing member who had passed away earlier that year. He served as Director of Libraries at Camden‐Carroll Library at Morehead State University until his retirement in 2006.
