Outstanding Mentor/Trainer Nominees

How has the nominee demonstrated excellence in teaching, nurturing, or providing guidance to others? Please provide specific examples.

Janice is a combination of a patient trainer with a positive attitude and excellent interpersonal skills. She has the ability to explain basic MARC information, cataloging rules and local policies and practices in a way that makes sense. Although Janice has been here for more than 20 years, she continues to excel as a supervisor and trainer and is indeed, a real asset to the Libraries. Regardless of the situation or question, she is always willing to help to the best of her ability, answer questions and share ideas all while being patient, respectful, professional, and positive.

How has the knowledge the nominee shared affected another person's or yours career?

Janice continues to encourage library staff to further their education and throughout the years, many have gone onto graduate school in library science and other fields.

Please describe the nominee's communication skills. How do these skills attribute to his/her nomination for Outstanding Mentor/Trainer?

Janice's excellent communication skills provide the foundation for her success as a trainer. In addition to a wealth of knowledge, communicating that information is essential part of being a good trainer. Throughout the years, many of the staff in Janice's area have come to Acquired Cataloging with little or no training in cataloging. Janice has effectively trained them in copy cataloging as well as assisted with training others so that they are productive members of the Cataloging department.

Has the nominee used any innovative training/teaching methods? If so, what are they, and how have they affected you and/or others?

In learning to catalog, review of edited catalog records is an essential part of process. Janice is able to review errors with staff in training without placing blame and makes the process as painless as possible.

What else do you think the ASSET Awards Committee should know about your nominee?

Janice is a real asset to the Libraries. She is an excellent trainer and it is hard to understand how effective she is, without seeing her action.

How has the nominee demonstrated excellence in teaching, nurturing, or providing guidance to others? Please provide specific examples.

Although Susan Field is one of my supervisors, I also consider her my mentor, as she has provided excellent teaching, nurturing and guidance in the work I do with her area, the US Regional Depository Services. When I started working with her, she produced and provided me with a comprehensive manual and carefully explained my duties. She has been very supportive and encouraging as I have learned the job, and is very open to suggestions for changes and improvements in what I do. Although I do most of my job independently, she schedules regular meetings to touch base with me.

How has the knowledge the nominee shared affected another person's or yours career?

Because Susan Field has shared her knowledge of exactly what she wants me to do in my work for her, my work has become much more rewarding and enjoyable.

Please describe the nominee's communication skills. How do these skills attribute to his/her nomination for Outstanding Mentor/Trainer?

It is a pleasure to talk to Susan Field, as she is so knowledgeable in her work and is also interested in me as a person. She manages to juggle the demands of numerous regional depositories, as well as taking the time to deal with any questions I might have, and is unfailingly of good cheer.

Has the nominee used any innovative training/teaching methods? If so, what are they, and how have they affected you and/or others?

Susan Field is not afraid to get "into the trenches" when hard work needs to be done. She has helped with stocking the IRS and Georgia tax forms, as well as working with me to withdraw a large number of documents from the J84 shelves at one point, not shirking even the "dirty" work of tearing up documents we no longer needed.

What else do you think the ASSET Awards Committee should know about your nominee?

Susan Field is more than a supervisor to me, she is a mentor and friend. She has greatly contributed to my satisfaction with my work, and I am very grateful to be working with her.

How has the nominee demonstrated excellence in teaching, nurturing, or providing guidance to others? Please provide specific examples.

While Venus is an excellent trainer to her staff, her greater role as a trainer educating the campus community in sound record management. This may sound unimportant until you need a document to claim an employment benefit or have to produce material for an Open Records request. Such needs for documentation extend over all the offices of this vast and growing organization - those who have seen the accumulated boxes of "corporate wisdom" in the Records Center will best be able to judge the number of Venus's potential "students".

In 2002 the Board of Regents introduced a totally new system of regulations for legally managing documents in the University System. A much larger interactive database of standards replaced a tiny and outdated book with rules that changed filing in many university offices. While most offices realized the value of the documents, many office managers found themselves in an "everything you know is wrong" situation.

How has the knowledge the nominee shared affected another person's or yours career?

Venus was thus faced with the task of educating a campus of bright (but not always anxious to learn or change) office managers of all levels. The successful and legal operation of the campus depends upon her skills in spreading the word. Also, a the inevitable "bugs" have been found in the new rules, Venus has served as the interface, communicating problems to the state level and helping to shape solutions that will benefit the entire USG.

Through state-wide meetings and electronic communication Venus has helped shape the records climate throughout the state university system where her opinions and innovations are highly valued. Her influence was recognized this year with an invitation to chair the University System section of the Georgia Records Association annual conference.

Please describe the nominee's communication skills. How do these skills attribute to his/her nomination for Outstanding Mentor/Trainer?

In a tight budget year Eric Matthews refused to provide armed troops to enforce the new regulations, so Venus had to rely on her skills in mass communication through teaching and web page design. In equal or greater parts she had to rely on interpersonal skills, clarifying points with individuals via telephone or email. Also she had to make intelligent use of the skills of her library colleagues in helping to spread the new word.

Has the nominee used any innovative training/teaching methods? If so, what are they, and how have they affected you and/or others?

Venus has worked to develop a highly successful campus teaching module offered through Training and Development. The success of this venture has resulted in creation of a video tape of the session at the request of T&D and in presentations at meetings of departments. "Secretary Sue's big box of record problems" (the central teaching tool of her presentation) is becoming well known on campus. Class attendees have noted that her easy-going delivery and humor have made it much easier to absorb the records message (not that is isn't a fascinating subject in its own right). Her MS-Power Point screens have been effective in class as well.

As effective as the T&D sessions have been, Venus reaches a wider daily audience thought her much-used web pages. These clear and informative page with their interactive forms have made it much easier to put the records presence into offices on campus, readily at hand.

What else do you think the ASSET Awards Committee should know about your nominee?

While her public education work goes forward on an almost daily basis, Venus also directs the processing of incoming and outgoing materials, maintains the extensive records required for the program and provide responsive public service finding files needed by all levels of campus offices.