TLA GODORT/MARCIVE "Knowledge is Power" Award
Tom Rohrig
A popular Government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be their own Governours, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives. -- James Madison
Acceptance Remarks March 30, 2001
Thank you so much for this very great honor. I also feel honored in following the first recipient of this "TLA Godort/Marcive Knowledge is Power" award, Melody Kelly, who has done so much for documents librarianship in Texas and on the national level. She is a hard act to follow!
A big thank you to the Marcive Company who sponsors this award and does so much on a continuing basis for the government documents community.
In the 23 some years that I have worked at Texas Tech, I have worked in government documents all but my first semester. It has always been a wonderful experience and a constant challenge.
I have always been fortunate at receiving guidance and opportunities for growth from a fine group of co-workers. My boss, Mary Ann Higdon, who is a former head of Government Documents at Texas Tech, has always been a guiding light for me in working with government documents. I have also been very fortunate to have always worked with a fine group of dedicated Staff in Government Documents, including my current Tech colleagues Lorraine Bingham, Marina Oliver, and the rest of my fine Documents Staff that Tech is so fortunate to have.
The Texas Tech Library administration has always supported government documents and our move several years ago to our new quarters in the newly refurbished Library basement which we share with Current Periodicals & Microforms is like a dream come true. For the first time in many years, our whole area is on the same floor! I am very indebted to our Dean of Libraries, Dale Cluff, and our late Associate Dean of Libraries, Doug Birdsall, for bringing this about.
I am also very indebted to the fine people who work with government documents all over this large state--many of them in Texas' many selectives. Each of the Selectives in my area and in my Regional Librarian colleague Sue Troyan's area works constantly, innovatively, and cooperatively to get the word out about government documents and its importance to the citizens the Selective serves.
It has been said that Government Documents is one of the nation's best kept secrets, but in my experience, my colleagues are doing their best to get the word out and make government documents one of the nation's best known facts.
Thank you.
