“Blessed be our God! Our sister, Phyllis Petre, has been called to an everlasting dwelling place with the saints at the age of 83. She died on December 12, 2023 in Buffalo, NY. Let us thank God for the gift of her life; let us thank Mary Our Mother for the gift of her service. Together, let us pray that she may rest in the peace of Christ.”

Online obituary, including a photo: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/buffalonews/name/phyllis-petre-obituary?id=53862706

The Catholic Library World Editorial Committee has selected Zachary Lewis, Student Success Librarian at the University of Dayton’s Roesch Library, as the recipient of the John Brubaker Memorial Award for 2022-2023. The award was established in 1978 to recognize an outstanding work of literary merit published in Catholic Library World. Lewis is recognized for his article, “Committing to the Common Good: Reframing Student Success Using Catholic Social Teaching,” which appeared in the September 2022 issue. Lewis moves beyond measures of academic achievement to take a more holistic view of student success. He begins with the University of Dayton’s Commitment to Community (C2C), which each student is required to pledge and sign. Lewis then shows how the C2C aligns with Catholic Social Teaching (CST) as outlined by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. He further links CST with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practices. In order to put these ideas and concepts into practice, Lewis describes his engagement with various campus communities, including BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) students, international students, and first-generation students. Lewis admits that “this more subjective outlook makes quantifying and assessing student success more difficult, but gauging students’ feeling of belonging and support, their sense of community and solidarity, and their understanding and acceptance of others’ differences could prove worthwhile. By incorporating social values into their work,” he concludes, “libraries can better align their goals with the mission of their universities, and set students up to succeed as people, not just as students.” For this creative application of CST to librarianship, the Catholic Library World Editorial Committee is pleased to bestow the John Brubaker Memorial Award on Zachary Lewis.