Congrats to Bob Stewart on Receiving the Susan G. Swartzburg Award @ NJLA2016!

The History and Preservation Section extends its congratulations to Asbury Park Library Director Bob Stewart on receiving the Section’s annual Susan G. Swartzburg Award at the 2016 NJLA Conference. Created in 2003, the Swartzburg Award recognizes a New Jersey Library Association member who, over a substantial number of years, has made exceptional contributions to an awareness, understanding, and/or preservation of archival and library materials in New Jersey.  It honors the memory of the Rutgers Preservation Librarian whose leadership in New Jersey inspired and influenced many others in our profession, particularly in the areas of preservation and book arts.

The Swartzburg Award is well deserved as Bob’s nomination form filled five pages with his accomplishments. Here are just a few highlights, which on their own would justify the award.

As a member of NJLA for nearly 50 years, Bob Stewart was a founding member of the H&P predecessor sections History and Bibliography and Preservation, as well as the Urban Libraries Section of NJLA. His work with the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference’s New Jersey Caucus led to the creation of CAPES, a site survey offered to libraries and repositories free of charge, through MARAC and the New Jersey Historical Commission. 

As a librarian and director, Stewart has been responsible for numerous microfilming projects and creating interesting local history collections, including the Springsteen Collection, now housed at Monmouth University. He was also instrumental in the creation of the Asbury Park Historical Society 15 years ago and he continues his affiliation with that organization as they work to obtain and renovate the Stephen Crane House as the Society’s home.

The History and Preservation Section congratulates Bob Stewart on receiving the Susan G. Swartzburg Award.