University of Victoria librarian Don White has won an award from CAUT in recognition of his "accomplishments in the furtherance of academic status for librarians."

Competing against other outstanding and worthy nominees for the award this year, White's contribution over a 20-year career of work to improve the conditions of academic librarians at Victoria won him the 2001 Academic Librarians' Distinguished Service Award.

Chris Dennis, chair of CAUT's Librarians Committee, praised White's contributions as instrumental in bringing the librarians at Victoria from a group with limited status to "full partnership with the faculty association, and to developing recognition of their academic status and right to collegial governance."

Dennis noted White's leadership and unceasing effort, "in the face of resistance by unsympathetic and at times hostile university and library administrators," culminated in the signing two years ago of a framework agreement between the faculty association and the university administration that, for the first time, brought together into one document the policies and procedures of both librarians and faculty.

"The signing represents a milestone on the long road of Victoria's librarians to full participation in the academic life of the university," Dennis said.

The award was presented at CAUT's 2002 Council meeting, April 25-27 in Ottawa.