Outstanding Achievement in Assessment Nominees -- Individual Category
Awarded to a person for the promotion, development and application of assessment. UGA Libraries' employees are constantly evaluating services, collections, current logistics, etc. (e.g., surveys, usability studies, focus groups, etc.). Nominations should discuss and provide specific examples of how the nominee has contributed to assessment practices, as well as how his/her/their assessment has contributed to the continuous service quality improvement within the UGA Libraries.
| Amanda Nash | Ian Thomas |
How has the nominee contributed to assessment practices (e.g., identifying outcomes, assessing results, and modifying procedures/services) in the UGA Libraries, as well as the nominee's department? Please provide specific examples.
It's all about world domination! And when the reference department strides the earth like Colossus, making the heavens shake with our mighty boast "WE ANSWER 100,000 QUESTIONS A YEAR!" who do we have to thank for giving us the ammunition to prove our worthwhile existence? Amanda Nash, who thanklessly toils away counting up each request for the GALILEO password, each frantic query for directions to the bathroom, and each knotty printing problem, massaging the raw data into pie charts and bar graphs, condensing our year's work into easily-graspable visual aids.
How has the nominee's assessment contributed to the continuous service quality improvement within the UGA Libraries?
Our sense of self-worth is confirmed in the statistical mirror that Amanda provides. Every year we see how much we've done and are encouraged to continue to implement our plans for total planetary conquest.
How with the assessment the nominee has been doing this past year affect the Libraries in the future?
The statistics Amanda keeps become part of the annual report, which is shown to many people who wear nice suits, earn a lot of money, and decide the Libraries' budget. The annual report is also shown to lots of nice people who have lots of money to give away, to assure them that the Libraries is far more useful to humanity than Enron or Congress.
What else do you think the ASSET Awards Committee should know about your nominee?
Amanda Nash had nothing to do with the writing of this nomination, and is not at all prone to hubris, bragging, exaggeration, or abusing innocent cliches. Amanda Nash: she counts our beans.
How has the nominee contributed to assessment practices (e.g., identifying outcomes, assessing results, and modifying procedures/services) in the UGA Libraries, as well as the nominee's department? Please provide specific examples.
Ian has always had an eye for serving the public, especially the undergraduates, well. Before assessment was a buzz word, he identified areas where we could improve our contact with the students in the mass introductory science classes. The outcome was the development of numerous handouts to assist them in finding articles, especially fulltext, in the various fields.
Ian has been serving on the Assessment Committee since its formation. He has taken an active role in soliciting information from the many areas of the library where statistics are kept; and compiling the data. He has also interviewed individuals from other institutions to find out how they use assessment as a data tool. He is certainly an enthusiastic member of the group and is already formulating ideas to improve UGA's assessment of service quality.
How has the nominee's assessment contributed to the continuous service quality improvement within the UGA Libraries?
Although we have progressed to giving introductory classes in library skills to the students of the mass science classes each semester, the handouts continue to be used and asked for. Ian updates these handouts on a regular basis to reflect changes in database access/searching techniques or to add new databases. This service is appreciated by the student users.
Ian's committee work has assisted him in the utilization of statistics and to better use them. He collects the usage statistics for databases; and compiles statistics for the reference department. The knowledge he is gaining from the committee work is leading to indepth discussions with his peers on the topic of assessment and its usage
How with the assessment the nominee has been doing this past year affect the Libraries in the future?
The goals would be for better service to the user and for all units to view themselves as service points whether they work directly with the public or not. Ian's interaction with the committee members from various areas of the library has helped him better understand processes. At the same time he is able to look at the big picture and see ways to improve service throughout.
What else do you think the ASSET Awards Committee should know about your nominee?
Ian's dedication to library work and service makes him a better Reference employee. His desire to learn and improve himself and situations has led him to start studies toward an MLS degree.