March 20-21, 2003
ITEM:� 118-2704-R0303����������� Authorization to Confer The Title of Professor Emeritus of Library upon Professor John Bratton; Montana State University � Billings
����������������������������������������������� WHEREAS, Professor Bratton has completed a distinguished teaching career of forty-five years, including twenty-three years at Montana State University-Billings, formerly Eastern Montana College;
WHEREAS, he has been the mainstay of the Library�s progress from a manual, independent, card-catalogue-based operation to a progressive, cooperative, electronic- and technology-based means of access to the Library�s books and journals, so Montana State University-Billings Library is now a model for the medium-sized academic library operating as a part of a shared, automated catalogue with integrated processing of monographs, journals, documents, media and electronic resources;
WHEREAS, he oversaw the entire conversion of the library catalogue from its original typed card format to the current digital format, an essential infrastructure for today�s access to library resources and for the future digital library;
WHEREAS, he was the key person who ensured that the process of automation was done at the highest possible level of quality, precision, accessibility and accuracy of data;
WHEREAS, he served as the chief catalogue advisor and expert for the first automation efforts in the 1980s, when the Library initiated a consortium of small and medium sized college libraries to share the first automated catalogue.
WHEREAS, he was the expert cataloguer throughout the process of migration in 1998,� when the Montana State University-Billings Library joined Montana State University-Bozeman and other libraries in a new shared catalogue with more sophisticated software;
WHEREAS, he has served as a member of numerous campus bodies including the faculty association and other campus committees;
WHEREAS he has served as a technical consultant to groups undertaking library automation projects such as the Billings School District;
AND WHEREAS, Montana State University-Billings wishes to honor Professor Bratton for his outstanding service to education and his discipline;
THEREFORE, the Board of Regents of Higher Education, on the recommendation of the Chancellor of Montana State University-Billings, confers upon Mr. John Bratton the title of Professor of Library Emeritus, with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities pertaining thereto.