Ray Lau

Ray Lau served the Oklahoma Library Association in various capacities and the Northwestern Oklahoma State University community as Director of Libraries during a career spanning 29 years. As a member of OLA, Lau served as Chair of the Sequoyah Children’s Book Award Committee from 1974-1978 and as the association’s Treasurer from 1981-1983. He was elected to the Council of the American Library Association in 1984 and received the Distinguished Service Award as Councilor for the American Library Association in 1988. During his career, Lau also served two terms on both the Advisory Board to the University of Oklahoma’s School of Library and Information Studies and the Governor’s Conference on Libraries. Additionally, he was a member of the Oklahoma Council of Academic Library Directors since the Council’s inception in 1988. Ray Lau was honored with the Oklahoma Library Association’s Special Meritorious Service Award in the spring of 2003.

In addition to his Director’s duties, Lau was Chair and Assistant Professor of the Department of Library Science at Northwestern until the department’s closing in 2001. He taught many of the courses in the library science curriculum in addition to advising all library science majors, supervising student teachers/librarians, and sponsoring the Library Science Club. During his time at Northwestern, he supervised two automation projects and the expansion of online technology at the library as well as creating the library on the Enid campus of NWOSU. When he retired in June 2003, the Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges honored Lau with the title of Professor Emeritus.