LSU Libraries’ Colton Ray has received the 2026 Louisiana Library Association (LLA) Academic Award for Outstanding Librarianship. The award recognizes librarians whose leadership, service, and professional contributions have significantly advanced academic librarianship in Louisiana.

Ray was recognized in part for his service as editor of Louisiana Libraries, the official journal of LLA. His work as Scholarly Publications & Analytics Librarian coincides with his new role as journal editor. At LSU, he works directly in the field of scholarly communication, journal metrics, and publication ethics, which contributes to helping faculty increase the reach of their research. To that end, Ray is in the process of developing a live dashboard that will showcase LSU’s open access publications, providing a clearer picture of the university’s growing contributions to open scholarship. 

“Receiving this award was a true surprise and a great honor,” Ray said. “I am extremely grateful for all the help I have had along the way, especially the Louisiana Library Association board and my coworkers in the Scholarly Publications department at LSU. They have encouraged and helped me navigate this new role, which allows me to help connect librarians across the state.”

Ray’s recognition follows that of LSU Libraries’ Undergraduate and Student Success Team Lead Sarah Simms, who received the same award in 2025.