Established in 2001, the EMC Information Leadership Award recognizes individuals whose personal leadership has made a critical contribution to the effective use of information technology throughout the world.

"Innovation is the process of creative collaboration. Many a brilliant idea has faltered at the execution stage. Successful innovators really understand the value of a well-conceived strategy for execution. They involve others in the development of that strategy. They understand the strength in divergent ideas and thinking." — Laura E. Campbell, Oral History

On Oct. 2, 2000, Laura E. Campbell was appointed by Librarian of Congress James H. Billington as Associate Librarian for Strategic Initiatives, a new Library of Congress position.

Creation of the position responds to a recommendation contained in the July 26, 2000, National Academy of Sciences report, "LC21: A Digital Strategy for the Library of Congress." Ms. Campbell is responsible for the overall strategic planning for the Library, which includes development of a national strategy, in cooperation with other institutions, for the collection, access and preservation of digital materials. This collaborative effort is formally called the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program. Ms. Campbell also oversees the Information Technology Services directorate at the Library.

Ms. Campbell is also the Director of the National Digital Library (NDL) Program, which she has led since 1994 at the Library. In this capacity she led a cooperative national effort to digitize and make available online important and unique materials of America's history and culture from the Library and other repositories throughout the country. The flagship of the NDL Program is the award-winning American Memory Web site, which makes freely available more than 10 million historical primary source materials. Ms. Campbell assumed responsibility for the American Memory Program in 1993 and began co-chairing the Digital Futures Group of the Library in late 1998. Ms. Campbell joined the Library in April 1992 as director of Library Distribution Services, a directorate that included all the commercial functions of the Library.

Before joining the Library, Ms. Campbell was vice president of QueTel Corp., a business and systems integration consulting firm, from 1989 to 1992, where she directed consulting engagements in strategic planning and financial systems, including work for the Library of Congress.

From 1984 to1989, she was a staff consultant, manager and then principal with Arthur Young & Co. (now Ernst and Young), directing projects for industry and government. She served as project manager for the strategic planning review of the Library of Congress in 1988-89.

Ms. Campbell is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University (B.A., 1973), the University of Maine (M.A. in management, 1979) and Georgetown University (M.S. in accounting, 1983).