Dr. Jian Qin has been selected as the recipient of the 2020 Frederick G. Kilgour Award for Research in Library and Information Technology, sponsored by OCLC and the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA). She is the Professor and Director at the iSchool, Syracuse University.
The Kilgour Award honors research relevant to the development of information technologies, especially work which shows promise of having a positive and substantive impact on any aspect(s) of the publication, storage, retrieval and dissemination of information, or the processes by which information and data are manipulated and managed. It recognizes a body of work probably spanning years, if not the majority of a career. The winner receives $2,000, and a citation.
Dr. Qin’s recent research projects include metadata modeling for gravitational wave research data management and big metadata analytics using GenBank metadata records for DNA sequences, both with funding from NSF. She also collaborated with a colleague to develop a Capability Maturity Model for Research Data Management funded by a grant from the Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR). She was a visiting scholar at the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC), where she developed the learning object vocabulary project. She has published widely in national and international research journals. Dr. Qin was the co-author of the book Metadata and co-editor for several special journal issues on knowledge discovery in databases and knowledge representation.
“Dr. Qin has made immeasurable contributions to the field of metadata throughout her 20 year career, including writing Metadata, now in its second edition. This title is award winning and a core text in the field. She has shown that it is possible to bridge the gap between the theoretical and the practical, not always an easy undertaking.”
When notified that she had been selected, Dr. Qin said, “I have always been awed by Kilgour’s legacy and feel tremendously honored to be selected for this award. I am grateful and humbled by this recognition from the LIS community.”
Members of the 2020 Kilgour Award Committee are Emma Kepron (Chair), Aimee Fifarek (Past Chair), David Ratledge, Colby Riggs, and Andrew Pace (OCLC Liaison).
About LITA
The Library and Information Technology Association (LITA) is the leading organization reaching out across types of libraries to provide education and services for a broad membership of systems librarians, library technologists, library administrators, library schools, vendors, and others interested in leading edge technology and applications for librarians and information providers. LITA is a division of the American Library Association. Follow us on our Blog, Facebook, or Twitter.
About OCLC
OCLC is a nonprofit global library cooperative providing shared technology services, original research and community programs so that libraries can better fuel learning, research and innovation. Through OCLC, member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat, the most comprehensive global network of data about library collections and services. Libraries gain efficiencies through OCLC’s WorldShare, a complete set of library management applications and services built on an open, cloud-based platform. It is through collaboration and sharing of the world’s collected knowledge that libraries can help people find answers they need to solve problems. Together as OCLC, member libraries, staff and partners make breakthroughs possible.