AGA to honor GIA librarian, author

Dona Mary DirlamSan Diego--The Accredited Gemologists Association will honor the Gemological Institute of America’s Dona Mary Dirlam with its Lifetime Achievement Award next month in Tucson.

Dirlam is the director of the GIA’s Richard T. Liddicoat Gemological Library and Information Center. Under her leadership, which spans more than three decades, it has expanded from a 2,000-book library to a state-of-the-art facility, AGA said.

The installation now includes more than 16,000 books and 18,000 videos, as well as CD-ROMs, audio CDs, and subscriptions to more than 230 periodicals in a number of languages.

These resources are available to on-campus students, those in the gemological field, and members of the public who visit the GIA’s Carlsbad campus. 

The Cartier Archives and Rare Book Repository Collections, housing the 14,000-volume Sinkankas collection, consists of more than 41,000 resources. Dirlam herself personally negotiated the acquisition of the Sinkankas collection over a four-year process.

Dirlam also has written 12 articles for GIA’s scientific quarterly Gems & Gemology, five of which received a Most Valuable Article award for the journal, and co-authored and edited the book, Splendour and Science of Pearls.

In addition to her work with the library and publications, Dirlan also contributed to the field of gemology through her work with Jim Shigley to advance gemology at both the Geological Society of America and the International Mineralogical Association meetings with special sessions dedicated to promoting recent research.

“The Accredited Gemologists Association is particularly pleased to present Ms. Dona Mary Dirlam with the AGA’s Lifetime Achievement Award,” said President Stuart Robertson. “Ms. Dirlam is recognized for incomparable contributions to the gemological community through an enduring commitment to securing and safeguarding the written works of researchers and scholars, both past and present, for the benefit of the global gemological community of today and tomorrow.” 

The AGA Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented at the organization’s gala at the end of its Tucson conference on Wednesday, Feb. 4 at the Marriott University Park Hotel.

For additional information or to attend the conference or gala, visit AccreditedGemologists.org or call 619-501-5444.