Peggy Sullivan

Career

Peggy Sullivan, who currently resides in Chicago, IL, serves as a Library Consultant. She specializes in executive searches, primarily in public libraries. Throughout her career, she has served as:

*Dean, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Rosary College, River Forest IL 1995-1997

*Executive Director, American Library Association, Chicago IL 1992-1994

*Director and Professor, University Libraries, Northern Illinois University, De Kalb IL 1990-1992

*Dean and Professor, College of Professional Studies, Northern Illinois University 1981-1992

*Assistant Commissioner, Chicago Public Library, 1977-1981

From 1952 to 1977, Peggy Sullivan held positions of increasing responsibility in public and school libraries, directed the national Knapp School Libraries Project (1963-1968), and was on the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Chicago in their library education programs. She also taught on part-time, summer or interim bases at six other library education programs (the University of Maryland, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey, Syracuse University, the Catholic University of America, Drexel University, and Rosary College) and directed the American Library Association’s Office for Library Personnel Resources.

Highlights of Sullivan’s wide-ranging career include: President of ALA’s Children’s Services Division (now the Association for Library Services to Children – ALSC) (1976-1977), assistant commissioner for extension services at the Chicago Public Library (1977-1981), ALA president (1980-1981), ALA executive director (1992-1994), Dean of the LIS Program at Rosary College (now Dominican University), Dean of the College of Professional Studies at Northern Illinois University, and numerous university teaching positions. Sullivan served as director of the Knapp School Libraries Project (1963-1968). This project had great national impact on convincing the public of the need for high quality school library media programs.

Furthermore, Sullivan was the 1991 recipient of ALA’s Joseph W. Lippincott Award, and is a Distinguished Alumnus of both Catholic University and Clarke College. In 2004, Sullivan established the Sullivan Award for Public Library Administrators. This award is presented annually to an individual who has shown exceptional understanding and support of public library service to children while having general management/supervisory/administrative responsibility that has included public library service to children in its scope. She also presents the Sullivan Award to a faculty member in the NIU College of Health and Human Sciences (formerly the College of Professional Studies, where she was dean) for achievement in research. It is presented every fall on the NIU campus.

Education

*Ph.D., University of Chicago, 1972

*M.S. in L.S., Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, 1953

*B.A., Clarke College, Dubuque, IA, 1950

Publications

*Carl H. Milam and the American Library Association, H. W. Wilson

*Public Libraries: Smart Practices in Personnel, with William H. Ptacek, Libraries Unlimited, 1978

*Opportunities in Library and Information Science, Vocational Guidance Manuals, 19, with varying responsibilities for later editions of this title with various publishers

*Problems in School Media Management, Bowker, 1972

*Many Names for Eileen, Follett, 1969

*The O’Donnells, Follett, 1956

*More than 100 articles on various aspects of librarianship, education, administration, and history. 1958 and continuing

*Reviews of books and other media, also numbering in excess of 100, for a variety of educational and library publications, as well as for The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Post, and The Chicago Tribune

Recognitions and Special Assignments

*UNESCO Consultant on School Libraries, Australia, 1970

*President, American Library Association, 1980-1981

*Numerous committee appointments and elective offices in the American Library Association, 1959 and continuing, including the presidency of the Children’s Services Division, 1976-1977, and membership on the ALA Council

*Distinguished Service Award, Association for Library Service to Children, 2000

*Lippincott Award, American Library Association, 1991

*Distinguished Alumnus Award, School of Library and Information Science, Catholic University of America

*Distinguished Alumnus Award, Clarke College,

*Honors Award, High School Section, Catholic Library Association

*Inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who in America and its various regional and special publications

*Consultancies relating to seminary libraries, fundraising, personnel management, faculty development, library education curriculum, library facilities planning, and general educational and library issues provided to a range of institutions and agencies, including the National Endowment for the Humanities, the New York Public Library, the Ford Foundation, the Lilly Foundation, and the US Department of Education

*Vice President and Program Chair, Caxton Club of Chicago, 2001-2002

*Treasurer, Chicago Literary Club, 2006-2007

*Consulting assignments and the presentation of speeches, workshops, storytelling programs, as well as participation in ALA accreditation of library education programs have taken Peggy Sullivan to every one of the fifty US states and every continent except Antarctica (which she visited on her own).

*Committee appointments in the Illinois Library Association, the Catholic Library Association, the Association of College and Research Libraries, the Library Administration Division of the American Library Association, and the American Association of School Librarians

*Donor, the Sullivan Award for Public Library Administrators, American Library Association, 2004 and continuing annually

ALA Honorary Member

In 2008, Peggy Sullivan was named Honorary Member of the American Library Association. Sullivan, a library consultant, was nominated in recognition of over 50 years of dedicated librarianship during which she wrote the definitive scholarly history of the tenure of Carl Milam (ALA secretary 1920-1946) and the growth of the American Library Association to an international organization.

Peggy Sullivan is the only Honorary Member to have a giant image of her book on a parking garage in the Kansas City Library District. The facade includes her 1956 children’s book, The O’Donnells as a title on the Community Bookshelf.

The official resolution is as follows:

Whereas, Dr. Peggy Sullivan has dedicated over 50 years to the field of librarianship, and Whereas, Dr. Peggy Sullivan served as director of the Knapp School Libraries Project, which had great national impact on convincing the public of the need for high quality school library media programs; and

Whereas, Dr. Peggy Sullivan wrote the definitive scholarly history of the tenure of Carl Milam (ALA Secretary 1920-1946) and the growth of the American Library Association to an international organization; and

Whereas, Dr. Peggy Sullivan was the 1991 recipient of ALA’s Joseph W. Lippincott Award for distinguished service to the professionof librarianship; and

Whereas, Dr. Peggy Sullivan’s wide-ranging career includes such highlights as President of ALA’s Children’s Services Division (now the Association for Library Service to Children – ALSC), Assistant Commissioner for Extension Services at the Chicago Public Library, ALA President, ALA Executive Director, Dean of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Rosary College (now Dominican University), Dean of the College of Professional Studies at Northern Illinois University, various international assignments, and numerous administrative, library, and university teaching positions; now, therefore, be it Resolved, that in recognition of over 50 years of dedicated service to the profession of librarianship, Dr. Peggy Sullivan be awarded the highest honor this Association can bestow, Honorary Membership in the American Library Association.

Adopted by the Council of the American Library Association

January 15, 2008

Keith Michael Fiels

Secretary of the Association

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

References

Librarian: Libraries as the Future of Culture and History. (7.4.2008) http://librarian.lishost.org/?p=1114.