Emily Dineen of Bethel Wins Research Award

From left: Donna Witek, information literacy coordinator; Emily Dineen, recipient of the 2018 Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize in the Graduate Category; Charles Kratz, dean of the library and information fluency; Marlene Joy Morgan, Ed.D., associate professor of occupational therapy; and Victoria Castellanos, Ph.D., associate dean of the Panuska College of Professional Studies

BETHEL CT --Emily Dineen of Bethel was awarded The University of Scranton's Weinberg Memorial Library 2018 Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize in the Graduate Category.

The award was presented by Charles E. Kratz, dean of the library and information fluency at The University of Scranton.

The Weinberg Memorial Library at the University inaugurated the prize in 2011 to recognize excellence in research projects that show evidence of significant knowledge of the methods of research and the information gathering process, and use of library resources, tools and services. In 2017, the prize was named for Professor Emerita Bonnie W. Oldham, who founded the prize at the University in 2011.

Dineen, an occupational therapy student submitted to the competition her project "Historical Analysis," completed in the course Leadership in Occupational Therapy (OT 501), taught by Marlene Joy Morgan, Ed.D., associate professor of occupational therapy. In this project students were asked to research a topic by reading the occupational therapy literature dating back to 1917 when the field was founded. Dineen researched sensory integration intervention in pediatric occupational therapy. She accessed the occupational therapy literature through use of the Library's resources including microfilm, indexes, databases and print journals.

Dineen shared in her description of research that her process included both "careful planning" to locate articles relevant to her topic, as well as "serendipitous" discovery of articles that contributed to her understanding, and that she "learned not to be afraid to ask for help." Of her research process for the project she said, "I was able to literally see the progression of the sensory integration approach and of the profession itself," calling it a "historical immersive experience."

Prize winners were honored at reception in the Heritage Room of the Weinberg Memorial Library.