Education

• Morehouse College, AB, History; 1958.
• Atlanta University, M.S.L.S.; 1961.
• Atlanta University, 30 hours in History and Education,1963-64.
• Eastern Michigan University, MA, Education with a Concentration in the Social Sciences; 1969.
• The University of Michigan, Ph.D., Library Science; 1972.

Areas of special competence in library education

Introduction to Librarianship; Special Librarianship; Government Publications; Indexing and Abstracting Services; Reference Resources and Services; Scientific and Technical Information Resources and Services, Social Sciences Recourses and Services, Business Information Resources and Services

Professional Experience

• Lecturer. The University of Michigan, School of Library Science Ann Arbor, Michigan, summer, 1972.
• Assistant Professor. Western Michigan University, School of Librarianship Kalamazoo, Michigan; 1972-76.
• Visiting Assistant Professor, School of Library Science, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Summer 1976.
• Fulbright-Hays Associate Professor of Library Studies, Department of Library Studies, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia, 1977-78.
• Visiting Associate Professor, Graduate Library School, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana; Summer 1979.
• George Peabody University, School of Librarianship, Nashville, Tennessee; Summer 1981.
• Associate Professor, School of Library Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina; 1976-83.
• Professor, School of Library and Information Sciences, North Carolina Central University, 1983-
• Interim Dean, School of Library and Information Sciences, North Carolina Central University 2003-2005.

Work experience in libraries

• Circulation Librarian, Fort Valley State College, Fort Valley, Georgia; 1960-63.
• Circulation Librarian, Virginia State College, Petersburg, Virginia; 1964-66.
• Regional Librarian, US Bureau of Commercial Fisheries Research Laboratories, Ann Arbor, Michigan; 1966-70. Chief of library services for a sixteen-state region.

Professional Affiliation

• Association of Accredited Library Schools (ALISE)
  • Co-Convener, Research Interest Group, 1976.
  • Institutional Representative, NCCU, 1978-1983.
• Special Libraries Association
  • Member: Technical Standards Committee, 2007-
  • Member: Affirmative Action Committee, 1998-2001.Professional Development Committee, 1995-98.
  • Editor, Sci-Tech News, the Official Bulletin of the Science and Technology Oriented Divisions of the Special Libraries Association,1982-1989.
  • Chairman, H. W. Wilson Awards Committee, 1979-1982.
  • State and Local
    • Editor, Michigan Chapter Bulletin, 1968-1969. Member, Michigan State Planning Committee, 1974-1976.
    • Director, North Carolina Chapter, 1979-1982.
    • Chairman, Sara Aull Student Paper Awards Committee, North Carolina Chapter, 1983-1984

Honors and Awards

• Special Libraries Association, Science and Technology Division, Sci-Tech National Achievement Award, 1990.
• Chancellor’s Certificate for academic excellence, April 25, 1985. (NCCU)
• Chancellor’s Certificate for being selected as the leading researcher in the School of Library and Information Sciences for 1988/89. August 14, 1989.
• North Carolina Library Association, Pathfinder’s Award, 1999.
• North Carolina Chapter, Special Libraries Association, Achievement Award, 2002.

Publications

• Pamphlet
  • Gasaway, Laura, Ballard et.al. Equal Pay for Equal Work: Women in Special Libraries. Special Libraries Association. 1980.
• Published Articles
  • "Indexing and its Relevance to Technical Processing." Cataloging & Classification Quarterly 16, no.3 (1993):79-88.
  • "Disinformation, the Exxon Valdez, and the Search for Truth: Government Documents as Reference Sources for Issues of Current National Concern." The Reference Librarian 32 (1991): 139-150.
  • "The Effect of Information Brokers on Reference Services: Reference Librarians Express Their Opinions." The Reference Librarian 22 (1988) 81-91.
  • Ferguson, Cheryl and Robert M. Ballard. "Downloading and Copyright: A Selected Survey of Special Librarians and Data Base Suppliers." Sci-Tech News (January 1985): 17-19.
  • "Library Studies and the Library Profession in Zambia: Observations by an Outsider." Zambia Library Association Journal 10 (September 1978): 80-84.
  • "Library Education and Library Problems in Developing Nations." International Library Review 12 (1980): 66-70.
  • "Government Publications-A Course Outline." Government Publications Review 2(1975): 177-184.
  • "Pollution in Lake Erie 1872-1965." Special Libraries 66 (1975): 378-382.
  • Reviewer for the American Reference Books Annual, 1996- Two to four books yearly, approximately 30 books since 1996.
• Chapters in Books
  • "House Organs and Free Publications." with Beth Jerall: pp.568-572 in Magazines for Libraries. Bill Katz and Linda S. Katz, Editors. 6th Edition. New York: R.R.Bowker, 1989.
  • "House Organs and Free Publications." With Beth Jerall: pp. 535-540 in Magazine for Libraries. Bill and Linda S. Katz, Editors.7th Edition, New York, Bowker 1992.
  • "House Organs and Free Publications" pp:603-607 in Magazines for Libraries. Bill and Linda S. Katz, Editors. 8th Edition, New York, Bowker, 1995
  • Cited in: Being Fluent with Information Technology, Computer Science and Technology Board (CSTB) of the National Academy of Sciences. 128p. 1999.
• Invited Papers and Speeches
  • "Library and Information Services in the Year 2000." A paper presented at the Library Humanities Workshop, St.Augustine’s College,Raleigh, North Carolina April 15, 1991.
  • "What Everyone Should Know About Information Technology: Questions for K-12 and Post-Secondary Education." Paper presented at the Workshop on Information Technology Literacy. National Academy of Sciences, Computer Science and Technology Board (CSTB), semi-annual meeting at the NAS Conference Center, University of California at Irvine. January 14-15 1998.
  • "Library and Information Services in the Year 2000." A paper presented at the Library Humanities Workshop, St. Augustine’s College, Raleigh, North Carolina, April 15, 1991.
  • "Transfer of Technology: Barriers to Cooperation Amomg Countries with Different Developmental Levels." A paper accepted to be read at the Annual Conference of the International Federation for Documentation (FID), Havana Cuba, September 1990.