Retired University of Manitoba librarian Earle Ferguson is the recipient of the 1999 CAUT Academic Librarians' Distinguished Service Award.

Mr. Ferguson has a distinguished record of contributions to the advancement of the status and working conditions of academic librarians over the course of his lengthy career at Manitoba.

His strong involvement in the faculty association led to terms of service as executive secretary, executive member, vice-president, and president. It was largely due to his efforts that academic librarians were included in the early collective agreements.

During his term as a member of the library administration, and ultimately director of libraries at Manitoba, he actively encouraged librarians to participate in university affairs. He established a librarians' council, and worked towards having the council recognized by the university as a parallel to faculty councils.

Mr. Ferguson retired in 1998, but continues to serve as the faculty association grievance officer. He received his award at the November CAUT Council meeting in Ottawa.

In his letter of support for Earle Ferguson's nomination, University of Manitoba Faculty Association president Jay Goldstein writes: "Earle has devoted a great deal of time and energy to the many positions that he has held in UMFA over the years. He has consistently reminded both the members of UMFA and the wider university community of the important role played by academic librarians ... That the academic librarians are among the staunchest UMFA supporters is in large measure due to the fact that Earle has focused the attention of our association on matters of particular importance to the librarians."

The CAUT Academic Librarians' Distinguished Service Award was established in 1994 in order to recognize outstanding service by academic librarians or faculty who have contributed to the advancement of the status and working conditions of academic librarians at Canadian universities.