The purpose of the award is to recognize an outstanding archives program, said Levandoski, who has been the diocesan archivist for seven years. She is the eighth person to be honored with the award, which is given at the discretion of the ACDA president.

Levandoski said she enjoys her work, which she fondly describes as transforming the diocesan archives from "rooms of boxes in the Cathedral basement" to a "good example of a diocesan archives program, especially for a smaller diocese."

She added that many people probably don't understand an archivist's job at the diocesan level. "Basically I collect, preserve and provide access to materials of historical significance for diocesan offices, parishes and schools," said Levandoski, who holds master's degrees in both history and in library and information science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

"A lot of people tell me my job sounds boring, but I get to work with and preserve the history of the diocese. I have more than 300 sacramental registers, the oldest of which dates from 1838. The archives also houses a lot of interesting artifacts, like Bishop Griffin's vestments and the account books from Bishop James Ryan's household."

Levandoski said she has spent a huge amount of time looking through historic papers and photographs. "People assume that archivists work with old and musty things, but there is nothing more exciting than holding an original document written by Rev. Augustus Tolton," she said. "When I came to work for the diocese there were rooms full of boxes in the basement at Cathedral. In 2009 we built the space here (in a large heat and humidity controlled area of the Pastoral Center) and moved everything here."

Levandoski noted that she and her small staff have organized 11,000 photos that have been indexed and catalogued.

Levandoski serves as an executive board member and as education officer for ACDA. She recently concluded a term as secretary. "It's a small group so a lot of us do multiple jobs," she said.