I would like to dedicate this award to the memory of Harriet Tippet, a visionary and a friend as well as a fine librarian and online searcher. Harriet continues to inspire many of us. Dawson was nominated for this honor by members of his staff and the staff of the Outagamie Waupaca Library System. The application process required that he write an essay on the importance of technology in libraries. His essay is included below.
Education is an essential function of society and a core role of public libraries.
Both formal and informal education are important to communities, and throughout history, libraries have supported education. Most adults continue learning by a variety of informal methods, and public libraries play a significant role in helping young people become lifelong learners and in supporting their ongoing education. To that end, storing, organizing and retrieving information is an essential function both of libraries and computers, and done in service to the needs of communities and individuals by public libraries. As information technology progresses, greater amounts of knowledge are available electronically. While print and the book will remain vital and viable for the foreseeable future, electronic resources increasingly play a part in the education process.