2004 Division Award Winner

The criteria for the Division Award read as follows:

The award should be given for a significant contribution to the literature of physics, math or astronomy or to honour work which demonstrably improves the exchange of information in physics, math or astronomy. The contribution should also significantly benefit libraries or enhance the ability of librarians to provide service. It should be special---above and beyond the normal job requirements of the individual(s) or group concerned.

This year the committee has chosen to honor a publisher with the Division Award.

Much of our time as librarians, in our jobs and on our list-servs, is spent discussing publishers, most often in a rather unflattering light. In the last few years, as we have all confronted the inevitable move from paper to electronic publication and access, we have had to deal with unresponsive publishers and unsatisfactory tools for dealing with issues of increasing importance: access to older literature, archiving, copyright and the obstacles it may present to general dissemination of scientific knowledge.

In presenting the award we note this publisher's long-standing awareness of the importance of the historical literature in its discipline, and its commitment to archiving that literature in scanned, reference-linked and searchable backfiles made available to its researchers and subscribers at reasonable cost. We also recognize its trailblazing role in the secure archiving of electronic versions of its publications. Finally, we acknowledge its careful and generous policy on copyright and its continuing support of arXiv in enhancing the dissemination of scholarly information to all.

For these reasons we honor the American Physical Society with the 2004 PAM Division Award.

[Martin Blume, publisher for the APS, accepted the award.]

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Page last updated: July 13, 2004