Prudence Dalrymple PhD’87 has helped expand what it means to work in library and information science. From consulting with regional library systems to advancing health informatics and medical information access, Dalrymple’s work has spanned across public libraries, professional accreditation, universities, and healthcare settings.
Across decades of work, Dalrymple has has built a career showing how library and information science can improve public services, higher education, and healthcare. Her career reflects a deep commitment to improving access to knowledge while embracing the evolving identity of a field that now reaches far beyond traditional libraries. In recognition of her wide-ranging contributions and lasting impact on the field, Dalrymple has received the 2026 Distinguished Achievement Award from the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences (CDIS) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
A career defined by curiosity and range
Dalrymple credits UW–Madison as a formative influence in her career, both intellectually and personally. She pursued her PhD at Wisconsin after recognizing early on that advanced study would shape her professional path, and she found in Madison a place that exceeded expectations.
“Madison is a great place,” she says. “I was lucky to land there.”
One of the most lasting impacts of her time at UW came through mentorship. As the first doctoral student of Professor Doug Zweizig, Dalrymple found a mentor who gave her the freedom to chart her own course and the confidence to trust her instincts.
“He was kind and thoughtful and believed in me,” she reflects. “What a gift that was. If I can ever pass that gift on to someone else, that’s what I want to do.”
Dalrymple’s professional path spans multiple sectors within library and information science, a diversity she sees as essential to understanding the field’s true scope. While many associate librarianship with a single setting, her work demonstrates its place in the broader discipline of information science.
“It’s much more accurately called information science because it brings together a whole host of methods to serve a wide variety of people in a wide variety of ways.”
That breadth is evident in her work with regional library systems in Illinois, where she served as a consultant helping public librarians reimagine how they could better serve their communities. The collaboration led to tangible improvements in services and user satisfaction.
“When I reflect on my career, a very valuable experience that has stayed with me was my years as Director of the Office for Accreditation at ALA,” Dalrymple says. “ The Office for Accreditation is a key player in shepherding programs through the accreditation process so that students will acquire the knowledge and skills needed for a successful career.”
She also counts among her most meaningful experiences a three-year grant from the National Library of Medicine, which immersed her in the world of clinical care and medical research. Through coursework, hospital rounds, and collaboration with healthcare professionals, Dalrymple gained insight into how information shapes patient care and scientific advancement.
“It gave me an opportunity to do things that I think many people in their secret life would love to do,” she says of being allowed to accompany doctors on their medical rounds with patients, for example. She was able “to see medicine up close and think about how information supports it.”
Throughout her career, Dalrymple has embraced opportunities that were unexpected at the time, starting with an early role supporting emerging computerized systems for managing library literature at Harvard. That experience, she says, shaped her approach to risk and growth.
“If you put your hand up, you might get chosen,” she reflects. “You might be able to take a risk and get someplace you never even knew existed.”
A lasting impact
Dalrymple’s advice to students reflects the same spirit of openness and possibility shown to her throughout her career: “Banning that thought—‘that’s great for somebody else, but I could never do that’—is a very important thing,” she says. “Be flexible, but also be curious. There are opportunities that may seem out of reach, but you don’t know unless you try.”
Receiving the Distinguished Achievement Award is, for Dalrymple, both an honor and a moment of reflection. While she describes the recognition as unexpected, she also sees it as part of a larger effort to celebrate and elevate the contributions of information science professionals.
Dalrymple says, “Awards like this matter—they show people what’s possible.”
Through a career defined by curiosity, collaboration, and a willingness to embrace the unexpected, Dalrymple has helped expand the boundaries of her field and inspire those who follow. Her legacy continues to shape how information serves communities, disciplines, and society as a whole.
Congratulations to Prudence Dalrymple on this well-deserved recognition.
Meet all eight of the 2026 CDIS Distinguished Achievement Award winners.