Alice Lubrecht (r), Chair of NCLR, presenting the 2008 Leadership Award to Dr. Ronald Drayton (l), Vice President for Academic Affairs at Midlands Technical College

2008 Award Winner

The 2008 NCLR Administrative Leadership Award winner was announced by Alice Lubrecht, chair of NCLR and Dean of Library and Information Resources at Harrisburg Area Community College in Pennsylvania on May 27, 2008. The winner, Dr. Ronald Drayton, is the Vice President for Academic Affairs at Midlands Technical College, Columbia, South Carolina.

The National Council for Learning Resources (NCLR), one of the affiliated councils of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), gives the award each year to one community college administrator in the U.S. whose efforts have resulted in significant support for a learning resources program.

Drayton received the award at a reception held in his honor in the MTC Airport Campus Library. The award was presented by Lubrecht who came to the Airport Campus from Pennsylvania to personally present the award to Drayton.

Lubrecht said, "Ron recognizes the importance of information literacy and has long understood that information literacy instruction is most effective when it is integrated throughout the college curriculum. As early as 2002, Ron encouraged his departments to meet with Midlands Technical College librarians to draft an information literacy plan, putting your college ahead of the curve. Interestingly enough, it took until 2008 for the AACC to approve a position statement on information literacy."

"From the application materials forwarded to me," Lubrecht added, "it is obvious that Dr. Drayton understood [the importance of information literacy] long ago, and as a result, your Arts and Sciences division is able to measure its success in developing individuals who are information literate when they leave college and enter the job market."

As the 2008 recipient of NCLR Administrative Leadership Award, Drayton received a commemorative award and a scholarship made out to MTC. Drayton will get to decide how the scholarship is awarded at the college. Drayton was nominated for the award by MTC Library Director Susan Payne.