Steve Anderson, Director of the Maryland State Law Library, has been honored with the 2017 Roy M. Mersky Spirit of Law Librarianship Award for Public Service. The award was presented at the American Association of Law Libraries' annual meeting and conference held from July 15-18 in Austin, Texas.
Anderson's recognition comes as a result of his involvement with the Howard County Early Onset and Newly-Diagnosed Parkinson's Disease Support Group, as well as his speaking engagements and community outreach efforts focused on improving quality of life for those affected by Parkinson's.
Mary Ellen Barbera, Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals of Maryland, praised Anderson’s dedication: “Steve’s demonstrated commitment to public service deserves recognition. He leads the State Law Library’s efforts to increase access to justice in our state by making legal information more readily accessible by members of the public. This award recognizes another aspect of Steve’s public service as a volunteer with his community’s Parkinson’s disease support group. We appreciate and honor his work helping others.”
The Roy M. Mersky Spirit of Law Librarianship Award acknowledges law librarians who engage in significant charitable or community service activities. Richard Leiter, Director of the Schmid Law Library and Professor of Law at the University of Nebraska College of Law, co-created and co-founded this award with Mersky.
Leiter commented on the award's purpose: “The Spirit of Law Librarianship Award was created to recognize the selfless work of public service in which our members engage on a regular basis. It is our intention that the people recognized through this award will serve as inspirations to others and encourage more people to step forward and serve their communities. This year’s award recipient, Steve Anderson, is the very definition of all those attributes; he is an inspiration and a servant of his community and does so without complaint or excuse.”
Expressing gratitude for receiving this honor, Anderson said: “This is a prestigious award, and I am deeply honored to receive it. I think it shows that people with Parkinson’s are just like everybody else and that people with disabilities can really strive in the workplace and give back to the community.” Anderson was among the founding members of the Howard County Early Onset and Newly-Diagnosed Parkinson's Disease Support Group over eight years ago and remains an active participant.