2024 Recipient

The ASEEES Committee on Libraries and Information Resources Distinguished Service Award, which was established in 2010, honors ASEEES member librarians, archivists, or curators whose contributions to the field of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies librarianship have been especially noteworthy or influential. The effect of these contributions may be the result of continuous or distinguished service to the profession, but may also be the result of extraordinarily active, innovative, or collaborative work that deserves national recognition.  

Honoree: Jon Giullian, Librarian for Slavic and Eurasian Studies and Head of International Collections, University of Kansas Libraries 

The Committee on Libraries and Information Resources is honored to grant this year’s Distinguished Service Award to Jon Giullian. Jon’s many contributions to our field and steadfast professional service are matched only by his warmth, kindness, and collegiality—he has welcomed many new librarians into the profession and forged strong, enduring bonds with longtime colleagues that have contributed to his great success as chair of the ASEEES CLIR from 2017-2019, as well as his ongoing tenure as editor in chief of Slavic and East European Information Resources (SEEIR), our field’s flagship journal. 

Jon has lent his time and expertise to many important efforts in our field. He has served since 2012 as the official webmaster for the ASEEES CLIR website, helping to keep content current and preserve the work of CLIR’s various subcommittees for posterity. He spent seven years on the executive committee of the Slavic and East European Materials Project, helping to identify important preservation projects among member collections and engaging in complex negotiations and collaborations to make those projects happen. He has served on virtually every subcommittee of ASEEES CLIR throughout his career and even launched a new one—its Education and Access subcommittee—during his tenure as chair. On top of all this, he has been a prolific scholar, contributing significant articles on technology adaption, Slavic information literacy, and open access, in addition to providing editorial guidance for a 2023 special issue of SEEIR on great collectors of Slavica in North America. 

While his professional record speaks for itself, it is equally important to note that his colleagues describe him as unfailingly kind, collegial, helpful, and professional; one describes him as “the pillar of Slavic Studies and Slavic Librarianship” for his ubiquitous presence in all important aspects of our professional life, and his incredible dependability as a colleague. We consider ourselves very lucky as Slavic librarians to have Jon in our fold and are delighted to give his many years of service their due with this year’s Distinguished Service Award. 

Award Committee: Anna Arays (chair), Olga Makarova, Kirill Tolpygo, Janice Pilch, Liladhar Pendse, and Brendan Nieubuurt