Om P. Sharma, South Asia librarian, retired from the University Library, on December 31, 1995.

Dr. Sharma completed his B.A. and M.A. degrees at Panjab University in India in 1954 and 1960, respectively. He earned certification in librarianship at the Municipal College of Commerce, in Newcastle, England, in 1961, and received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Chicago in 1964. He came to the University of Michigan in 1966 as bibliographer and head of the South Asian Unit and assumed responsibility for building nationally significant vernacular language collections from India, Pakistan, and other countries of South Asia.

Dr. Sharma's efforts have been enhanced by his unusually broad command of South Asian languages, including Hindi, Urdu, Panjabi, Sanskrit, Gujurati, Prakrit, Pali, and Marathi. This language competence, reinforced by his scholarly study of South Asian cultures, has made Dr. Sharma uniquely qualified to build research library collections, contribute expert cataloging support, provide insightful reference assistance, teach courses on South Asian bibliography, and serve as a long-standing member of the executive committee of the Center for South and Southeast Asian Studies.

Dr. Sharma has also been a national leader in South Asian librarianship. He has served as a member of the board of directors of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL); chair of the Asian and African Section of ACRL; founder and member of the executive committee of the South Asia Microform Project; chair of the Committee on South Asian Libraries and Documentation; member of the executive committee of the Association for Asian Studies; and maintained active membership in the American Oriental Society, the International Association of Oriental Librarians, and the American Library Association. He has also published scholarly articles and book reviews on the development of press laws and academic library systems in India. His scholarship, commitment to excellence, and breadth of knowledge have supported several generations of scholars and made an enduring contribution to the University of Michigan.

The Regents now salute this distinguished librarian by naming Om P. Sharma South Asia librarian emeritus.