National award for librarian

AWARD-WINNER . . . Maureen Burns (second left) working with Hattersley residents

A librarian who once worked for Oldham Local Studies and Archives has scooped a prestigious national award.

Maureen Burns (56), of Alexandra Mill, Uppermill, has won the 2008 Dorothy McCulla Award for Local Studies Librarian of the Year.

This award was inaugurated in 1981 in memory of Dorothy McCulla, the founder of the Local Studies Group of Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP).

Nominations are sought each year for a member of the group who has made an outstanding contribution to local studies work.

Maureen was honoured for her work in three separate areas — community engagement, social inclusion and cross sectoral working.

Now an assistant local studies librarian in Tameside, Maureen has worked for the centre since 2001.

She worked for Oldham Local Studies and Archives for 13 years, studying for her librarianship degree while working full-time.

The mother-of-one said: “I am thrilled to receive the award. I feel privileged to work in the field of local studies as there are new and exciting initiatives happening all the time.

“Anybody who has not used their local studies collections for local or family history have a treat in store.”

Maureen has been on the Local Studies Group North-West sub-group committee since 2005, editing the North-West newsletter and arranging the 2007 day school on Lancashire Dialect.

She has recently taken over as treasurer for the group.