Dr. Edith K. Beckett Awarded | News

Published on June 6, 2025

We’re proud to share that our very own Dr. Edith K. Beckett, Head of Technical Services at the NJ State Library (NJSL), has received the New Jersey Academic Librarians (NJAL) Technical Services Award!

She was honored at the New Jersey Library Association (NJLA) Annual Conference during the Awards and Honors Ceremony, which took place on May 29^th at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, NJ.

The NJAL Technical Services Award, given by the NJAL Bibliographic Control and Metadata Committee (BCMC) and the NJLA Technical Services and Collection Development Section, honors one librarian who has worked in collections and technical services including but not limited to: acquisitions, cataloging, metadata, collection management, preservation, electronic and continuing resources and has made significant contributions to enhance and advance technical services librarianship. The criteria for the award was as follows.

The nominee must have demonstrated one or more of the following achievements:

Significant contributions to professional literature
Planning and implementing a technical services program of noteworthy quality
Leadership abilities within the area of technical services
Outstanding leadership or service to the profession through regional, state, and national organizations
Contributions or innovations in technical services

Dr. Edith Beckett has been at NJSL for 38 years working in many areas of library service. Edith is currently the head of NJSL’s Technical Services unit, which is responsible for receipt and processing of most of the Library’s materials, including books, magazines, newspapers, and e-books. This unit also maintains the Library’s integrated library system, which includes the Library’s catalog. Edith’s professional interests include library staff development and organizing information for access. She has a B.A. from Rider College, and an M.L.I.S. and Ph.D. from Rutgers University. She considers herself a lifelong learner, so she is always looking for the next learning opportunity. When not at work, Edith finds joy in spending time with her family and friends, reading, cooking, and playing with fiber and fabrics.

Edith is an integral part of the team here at NJSL and this recognition is so well deserved!

Photo Gallery

Feel free to scroll through the gallery below, featuring photos from the awards ceremony, as well as a celebration held at NJSL for all staff members to congratulate Edith on this achievement.