Robert S. Martin
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Robert Sidney Martin (born 1949) is an American
librarian A librarian is a person who professionally works managing information. Librarians' common activities include providing access to information, conducting research, creating and managing information systems, creating, leading, and evaluating educat ...
,
archivist An archivist is an information professional who assesses, collects, organizes, preserves, maintains control over, and provides access to records and archives determined to have long-term value. The records maintained by an archivist can cons ...
, administrator, and
educator A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...
. He is Professor Emeritus, School of Library and Information Studies,
Texas Woman’s University Texas Woman's University (TWU) is a public coeducational research university in Denton, Texas, with two health science center-focused campuses in Dallas and Houston. While TWU has been fully co-educational since 1994, it is the largest state-sup ...
, where he was the Lillian M. Bradshaw Endowed Chair until his retirement in 2008. From 2001 to 2005, Martin was the director of the
Institute of Museum and Library Services The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the United States federal government established in 1996. It is the main source of federal support for librar ...
(IMLS), and he served concurrently as the acting chair of the
National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the feder ...
from Oct. 2001 to Jan. 2002. He has served on numerous boards and commissions, including the National Council for the Humanities, the U.S. National Commission for
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
, and the
President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities The President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) was an advisory committee to the President of the United States on cultural issues. It works directly with the White House and the three primary cultural agencies: the National End ...
. On November 17, 2008, President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
awarded Martin the
Presidential Citizens Medal The Presidential Citizens Medal is an award bestowed by the president of the United States. It is the second-highest civilian award in the United States and is second only to the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Established by executive order on N ...
“for his leadership in strengthening libraries and museums across the country.” The medal is the second-highest civilian award in the United States, second only to the
Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, alongside the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by decision of the president of the United States to "any person recommended to the President ...
. Martin is a Fellow of the
Society of American Archivists The Society of American Archivists is the oldest and largest archivist Voluntary association, association in North America, serving the educational and informational needs of more than 5,000 individual archivist and institutional members. Establi ...
and a Distinguished Alumnus of
Rice University William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University, is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1912, the university spans 300 acres. Rice University comp ...
and the
UNC School of Information and Library Science The UNC School of Information and Library Science (SILS) is the information school of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school offers a bachelor's degree in information science, a master's degrees in library science and infor ...
(SILS).


Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Library Science,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...
, 1988 Master of Library Science,
University of North Texas The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public university, public research university located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Its main campus is in Denton, Texas, Denton, with a satellite campus in Frisco, Texas, Frisco. It serves as the ...
, 1979 Bachelor of Arts, History,
Rice University William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University, is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1912, the university spans 300 acres. Rice University comp ...
, 1971


Career

From 1972 to 1976 Martin was an Archives Assistant in the Barker Texas History Center at the
University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 stud ...
, where he developed an interest in the cartographic history of Texas and the Southwest. In 1977 he was appointed Research Associate in the library at the
University of Texas at Arlington The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA or UT Arlington) is a public research university in Arlington, Texas, United States. It is the second oldest university in the University of Texas System and was founded in 1895. It was in the Texas A& ...
’s budding Cartographic History Collection.  From 1979 to 1980 he served as Director of Special Collections at the University of Texas at Arlington. From 1980 to 1983 he was a student in the Doctoral program of the School of Information and Library Science at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...
. In December 1983 he was appointed Lecturer at the School of Library and Information Studies at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...
. In January 1985 he became Associate Dean for Special Collections in the library at
Louisiana State University Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...
. During that period he also served as adjunct professor in the LSU School of Library and Information Science. In June 1995 Martin was appointed Director and Librarian of the
Texas State Library and Archives Commission The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) refers to the state government agency in the state of Texas that supports the reading, learning, and historical preservation needs of Texas and its people. The agency is charged with preserv ...
. During his tenure he oversaw the expansion of the
TexShare {{No footnotes , date=April 2024 The TexShare program is a statewide resource-sharing consortium of hundreds of member libraries in Texas, United States administered by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC). The TexShare program ma ...
resource sharing program, coordinated the development of new school library standards for the state, fostered the participation of libraries in the Telecommunication Infrastructure Fund, and assisted First Lady Laura Bush in the establishment of the
Texas Book Festival The Texas Book Festival is a free annual book festival held in downtown Austin, Texas. The festival takes place each fall in October or November and includes programming for children and adults. It is one of the largest and most critically acc ...
. In 1999 Martin was appointed professor in the School of Library and Information Studies at
Texas Woman’s University Texas Woman's University (TWU) is a public coeducational research university in Denton, Texas, with two health science center-focused campuses in Dallas and Houston. While TWU has been fully co-educational since 1994, it is the largest state-sup ...
. From September 2000 to July 2001 he served as Interim Director of the School. In 2001, Martin was nominated by President George W. Bush to lead the
Institute of Museum and Library Services The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the United States federal government established in 1996. It is the main source of federal support for librar ...
(IMLS.) Martin was confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate, becoming the first librarian to serve in this role. During his tenure, IMLS launched the
Laura Bush Laura Lane Welch Bush (née Welch; born November 4, 1946) is an American educator who was the first lady of the United States from 2001 to 2009 as the wife of George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States. Bush was previously the fir ...
21st Century Librarian Program (LB21), which awards grants to enhance the training and professional development of library and archives professionals, develop faculty and library leaders, and recruit and educate the next generation of library and archives professionals. LB21’s overarching goal is to support the development of a diverse workforce of librarians to better meet the changing learning and information needs of the American public. In 2002, at the invitation of Mrs. Bush, Martin presided over the White House Conference on School Libraries. Martin also oversaw the establishment of the Museums for America program, which supports projects that strengthen the ability of an individual museum to serve its public. Martin was a member of the U.S. Delegation to the
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
General Conferences in Paris in 2003, 2005 and 2007.  In 2003 he participated in a Ministerial Roundtable "Toward Knowledge Societies" and served on a working group that drafted the ministerial communiqué issued by the Round Table in preparation for the
World Summit on the Information Society The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) was a two-phase United Nations-sponsored summit on information, communication and, in broad terms, the information society that took place in 2003 in Geneva and in 2005 in Tunis. WSIS Forums hav ...
(WSIS). He subsequently was a member of the U. S. Delegation to WSIS in Geneva, Switzerland in December 2003. In 2004 and 2005 he served as co-head of the U.S. Delegation to the UNESCO Intergovernmental Meetings on Cultural Diversity. In 2004 he was the head of the U.S. Delegation to the
Organization of American States The Organization of American States (OAS or OEA; ; ; ) is an international organization founded on 30 April 1948 to promote cooperation among its member states within the Americas. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, the OAS is ...
Intergovernmental Meeting of Ministers of Culture and Highest Appropriate Authorities in Mexico City.  From 2003 through 2008 he served as a member of the U. S. National Commission on UNESCO, and was a member of its executive committee. From 2008 through 2011 he served as a member and chairman of the National Archives and Records Administration's Advisory Committee on the Electronic Records Archives (ACERA). In accordance with legislation governing IMLS, Martin’s term as director concluded after four years in 2005. He returned to
Texas Woman’s University Texas Woman's University (TWU) is a public coeducational research university in Denton, Texas, with two health science center-focused campuses in Dallas and Houston. While TWU has been fully co-educational since 1994, it is the largest state-sup ...
as the Lillian Bradshaw Endowed Chair in the School of Library and Information Studies. He discussed the development and future of the Institute of Museum and Library Services in an interview with ''
Library Journal ''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...
'' editor, John N. Berry He retired from TWU in August 2008 and was conferred Professor Emeritus. In November, 2008, he was appointed by the
Archivist of the United States The archivist of the United States is the head and chief administrator of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) of the United States. The archivist is responsible for the supervision and direction of the National Archives. The ...
to serve as chair of the Advisory Committee on the Electronic Records Archives. Throughout his career, Martin held elected and appointed positions in numerous professional organizations, including the
American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world. History 19th century ...
,
Association for Library and Information Science Education The Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) (pronounced "Ah-lease") promotes education for the information professions internationally through engagement, advocacy and research. ALISE is a non-profit professional associa ...
,
Chief Officers of State Library Agencies The Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) was established November 29, 1973, by a committee of the State Library Agency Division (SLAD) with the purpose of providing a continuing mechanism for dealing with the problems faced by the heads ...
, Louisiana Archives and Manuscripts Association, National Association of Governments Archivists and Records Administrators,
Society of American Archivists The Society of American Archivists is the oldest and largest archivist Voluntary association, association in North America, serving the educational and informational needs of more than 5,000 individual archivist and institutional members. Establi ...
, Society of Southwest Archivists, Urban Libraries Council, and the Texas Map Society.


Honors

Martin’s most prestigious honor came unexpectedly at the ceremonial presentation of the 2008 National Medals of Arts and National Humanities Medals, which both President George W. Bush and First Lady
Laura Bush Laura Lane Welch Bush (née Welch; born November 4, 1946) is an American educator who was the first lady of the United States from 2001 to 2009 as the wife of George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States. Bush was previously the fir ...
attended. After the conclusion of the anticipated program, President Bush surprised attendees by awarding the
Presidential Citizens Medal The Presidential Citizens Medal is an award bestowed by the president of the United States. It is the second-highest civilian award in the United States and is second only to the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Established by executive order on N ...
to four outstanding leaders in the arts, including Martin. President Bush praised Martin for helping to “preserve our treasured collections and bring libraries and museums into the 21st century with new technology.” In his commendation, Martin was hailed as someone who had “dedicated his career to the management of libraries. As a librarian, archivist, administrator, and educator, he has demonstrated a strong commitment to lifelong learning. The United States honors Robert Martin for his leadership in strengthening libraries and museums across the country.”


Most notable honors and awards

Presidential Citizens Medal The Presidential Citizens Medal is an award bestowed by the president of the United States. It is the second-highest civilian award in the United States and is second only to the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Established by executive order on N ...
Distinguished Alumnus,
Rice University William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University, is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1912, the university spans 300 acres. Rice University comp ...
Fellow of the
Society of American Archivists The Society of American Archivists is the oldest and largest archivist Voluntary association, association in North America, serving the educational and informational needs of more than 5,000 individual archivist and institutional members. Establi ...
Lifetime Achievement Award, Department of Library and Information Sciences,
University of North Texas The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public university, public research university located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Its main campus is in Denton, Texas, Denton, with a satellite campus in Frisco, Texas, Frisco. It serves as the ...
Doctor of Humane Letter Honoris Causa, Dominican University Alice G. Smith Lecture 10th Anniversary Lecture: “Libraries and the Twenty-first Century.”
University of South Florida The University of South Florida (USF) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States, and other campuses in St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Petersburg and Sarasota, ...
School of Information, 2002. Council Exemplary Service Award,
Society of American Archivists The Society of American Archivists is the oldest and largest archivist Voluntary association, association in North America, serving the educational and informational needs of more than 5,000 individual archivist and institutional members. Establi ...
Distinguished Service Award, Texas Library Association Distinguished Alumnus,
UNC School of Information and Library Science The UNC School of Information and Library Science (SILS) is the information school of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school offers a bachelor's degree in information science, a master's degrees in library science and infor ...
Distinguished Service Award, Society of Southwest Archivists Justin Winsor Prize,
Library History Round Table The Library History Round Table encourages research and publication on library history and promotes awareness and discussion of historical issues in librarianship. It "exists to facilitate communication among scholars and students of library history ...
, American Library Association, 1983. "Maurice F. Tauber's Louis Round Wilson: An Analysis of a Collaboration."


Publications


Books

* With Barbara Blake and Yunfei Du, ''Successful Community Outreach: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians'' (New York: Neal-Schuman, 2011). * With James C. Martin, ''Maps of Texas and the Southwest, 1513‑1900'' (Austin: Texas State Historical Association, 1999.) (Originally published: Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1984). * ''30 Years of Friendship'' (Baton Rouge: LSU Libraries 1992). * With James C. Martin, ''Contours of Discovery: Printed Maps Delineating the Texas and Southwestern Chapters of the Cartographic History of North America, 1513‑1930'' (Austin: Texas State Historical Association, 1982).


Books edited

* ''The Impact of Outsourcing and Privatization on Library Services and Management'' (Chicago: American Library Association, 2000). (Available at http://www.ala.org/alaorg/ors/outsourcing/) * With Delmus E. Williams, John M. Budd, Barbara Moran and Fred Roper, ''For the Good of the Order: Essays in Honor of Edward G. Holley'' (Greenwich, CT: JAI Press, 1994). * ''Carnegie Denied: Communities Rejecting Carnegie Library Construction Grants, 1898-1925 '' (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1993). * ''Scholarly Communication in an Electronic Environment: Issues for Research Libraries'' (Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, 1993). He has authored numerous refereed and invited articles in annuals and journals including ''
Advances in Librarianship ''Advances in Librarianship'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal covering research and developments in library and information science. It was founded in 1970, and in 1999, it also began being published online by Emerald Group. The debut issu ...
'', ''Texas Library Journal'', ''Library Hi Tech'', ''Libraries and Culture'', ''American Archivist'', ''Rare Books and Manuscripts Librarianship'', ''Journal of Education for Library and Information Science'', ''North Carolina Libraries'', ''Journal of Library History'', and ''Southwestern Historical Quarterly.'' His Opening Remarks at the 21st Century Learners Conference in 2001 established the IMLS commitment to lifelong learning. Dissertation: Martin, Robert Sidney.
Louis Round Wilson Louis Round Wilson (December 27, 1876 – December 10, 1979) was an important figure to the field of library science, and is listed in "100 of the most important leaders we had in the 20th century," an article in the December 1999 issue of ''Ameri ...
at the University of North Carolina, 1901-1932. Chapel Hill, NC:
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolling students in 1795 ...
, 1988. 805p. Advisor: Edward G. Holley.


Personal

Known as "Bob" Martin to friends and many colleagues. Married to Barbara Stein Martin, Professor Emeritus, College of Information,
University of North Texas The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public university, public research university located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Its main campus is in Denton, Texas, Denton, with a satellite campus in Frisco, Texas, Frisco. It serves as the ...
.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Robert S. 1949 births American archivists Librarians from Texas Living people Presidential Citizens Medal recipients Rice University alumni Texas Woman's University faculty UNC School of Information and Library Science alumni University of Texas at Arlington faculty Historians of libraries Library science scholars