Susan Kaufman Honored for Her Contributions to Genealogical Librarianship

A Texas-based librarian receives the 2019 William P. Filby Award for Genealogical Librarianship for her work at the Clayton Library and beyond.

The Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research – part of the Houston, Texas Public Library System – is one of the best genealogy libraries in the U.S. Among its collections: 100,000 research volumes, 3,000 periodical titles and an extensive microfilm collection.

So it’s no surprise that Clayton’s senior manager, Susan Kaufman, received this year’s National Genealogical Society (NGS) William P. Filby Award for Genealogical Librarianship. Kaufman was honored during the ProQuest-sponsored NGS Librarians’ Day program in St. Charles, Missouri in May. The prestigious Filby award also includes a $1,000 cash prize from ProQuest.

Kaufman has been with the Clayton Library since 2005, and during her tenure, it’s expanded its position as one of the nation’s renowned genealogy centers. But her outreach doesn’t stop there – she regularly lectures at community, statewide and national events, and has served on the boards of many genealogical organizations, including the Texas State Genealogical Society and the Federation of Genealogical Societies.

Created in 1999 by NGS, the award is named for the late P. William Filby, former director of the Maryland Historical Society, and author of many core genealogical reference tools that genealogists have relied upon for decades.

The award has been sponsored by ProQuest since 2006.