2026 John Cotton Dana Award Recipient Announced
The Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) is delighted to announce that John DiGilio has been selected to receive the 2026 John Cotton Dana Award. This award recognizes an individual member of the Association for a lifetime achievement as well as exceptional service to the Special Libraries Association and the library and information profession. DiGilio is the Firmwide Director of Library Services at Sidley Austin LLP.
In nominating DiGilio for the award, Bill Fisher and Tony Landolt said, “John’s time as both SLA treasurer and SLA president came during periods of upheaval for the Association. He was instrumental in keeping SLA “afloat,” allowing SLA to be a suitable merger partner for ASIST. Jill Strand wrote, “John’s calm and thoughtful leadership has long been an inspiration, and he continues to be an active member and serves as an excellent role model to future leaders and information professionals, to me and others.” And Tom Rink said, “Throughout his career, John has engaged in activities that create a meaningful impact on the library and information profession.” And Dan Bostrom wrote, “John’s legacy is knowing that SLA members found a good home. He did everything in his power to save SLA, but when that wasn’t enough, he found the next best thing. I hope that resonates with people for a long time.”
Upon learning of his selection, John said, "Being chosen for the John Cotton Dana Award is by far both one of the most humbling moments of my career and one of its high points. I have long been passionate about what I do and about the importance of the information profession. To be recognized for that work and for my commitment to serving and supporting the greater profession makes me feel like not only that I have done something right over the decades, but that I have contributed in some way to the success and longevity of the profession that has sustained and inspired me. Thank you, SLA and ASIS&T, for both this honor and the support you have given me in achieving my own success."
DiGilio will receive the award during the ASIS&T 2026 Information Science Summit & Special Libraries Conference (ISS/SLC26) which will be held 6-9 June 2026 in Albuquerque, NM.
About ASIS&T
The Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) is the only professional association that bridges the gap between information science practice and research. For nearly 90 years, ASIS&T has been leading the search for new and better theories, techniques, and technologies to improve access to information.