First-Year Faculty Nominees

Awarded to a contract employee who has exhibited exceptional job performance, attitude, interpersonal working relationships, and great potential for future service to the Libraries. Nominees must have completed their six-month probationary period by June 1st, 2004. Employees who were hired between December 1, 2002 and November 30, 2003 are eligible for this award.

What, in your opinion, are the outstanding accomplishments of the nominee in the past year?

After successfully navigating a national search by the University of Georgia, Caroline joined the Libraries' faculty as a Reference and Instruction Librarian in 2003.  Her previous experience within the UGA Reference Department (as a Library Technical Assistant in the Remote Reference Division) enabled her to continue in her capacity as a strong asset to the Reference Department team while adapting quickly to the additional responsibilities of a faculty member.

I believe Caroline's greatest accomplishment is how she has comfortably become an integral part of the Reference Department, as well as the smaller subset of the Student Learning Center team.  She is called upon to represent the UGA Libraries for presentations, such as her presentation for the GIL Users Group Meeting as well as a presentation for a group of librarians visiting UGA from Tunisia.  UGA Libraries colleagues (in and out of the Reference Department) are constantly contacting her for input, advice, and perspectives on issues related to the "library as a place," website design, usability assessment projects, and building logistics.

How has the work of the nominee affected the way the Libraries' carry out its mission? Your department?

The librarianship field is constantly changing, especially as technology evolves.  Caroline embraces emerging technologies (Wireless Capabilities, Chat Reference, Remote Access, Web Page Design, etc.) and the inherent change they bring, which is a characteristic highly valued by the Reference Department.  While always contemplating the needs of those that utilize the UGA Libraries, specifically at the Student Learning Center, Caroline grasps the opportunities new technologies bring and successfully implements them into her daily work, making them accessibly to others by growing her instruction techniques.

A major part of Caroline's responsibilities include teaching students how to use resources available via the UGA Libraries.  Through Research Conferences and Bibliographic Instruction, Caroline educates hundreds of students each year about the resources on offer at the UGA Libraries.  Through my direct observation of Caroline in the act of teaching, it is made apparent that she has a strong understanding of the fundamental issues surrounding information literacy.   In addition, Caroline has a genuine desire to build upon her current repertoire; she continually experiments with new instructional methods utilizing access to state-of-the-art technology in the Student Learning Center's advanced learning labs and applying various presentation techniques.

What leadership skills has this person demonstrated in the past year?

Caroline was one of the six Reference Librarians that moved from the Main Library to the Student Learning Center.  Moving from one culture to another can be an unsettling adventure.  Even though only a "junior faculty member", Caroline could be relied on for guidance and leadership within the chaos that comes with the opening of a new building.  Her positive attitude and logical thinking were constants through the growing pains associated with forming a functioning identity for this new branch of the Libraries.

Not only has Caroline has proved she's a competent leader within the Reference Department, she has also taken the initiative to become an active member of a national committee on the American College & Research Libraries' Instruction Section's Emerging Technologies Committee. With Caroline's ability to easily seize new and innovative technological applications for bibliographic instruction, the Emerging Technologies Committee is fortunate to have her as a member of the committee.

Caroline has proven through various projects that she is able to take an idea and successfully implement it not only by adapting it to the particulars of her specific situation, but also by including, motivating, and leading all those who can benefit from involvement.

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

In addition to her work at the UGA Libraries, Caroline devotes personal time to the endeavor of developing the community of Athens.  For example, Caroline has taken time in each of the past two years to assist the Jeanette Rankin Foundation in their initial application screening processes; additionally, she served as a reviewer of scholarship applications awarded to low-income women, thirty five years of age and older, who are in an undergraduate or vocational training program and have a vision of how their education will benefit themselves, their families, and their communities.  Recently, Caroline became a regular volunteer at the Athens Institute for Contemporary Art (ATHICA).  Sharing her love and knowledge of the subject (She was a post baccalaureate student within the Art History department at UGA.), Caroline volunteers time at ATHICA in order to help with events, art exhibits, and projects.

Caroline is truly an invaluable asset to the UGA Libraries.  When times get chaotic or projects don't go as planned, it is not uncommon to hear Caroline say, "Well, at least...;" she can always find the bright spot.  Her positive outlook and innovative work infuse the office with a sense of vitality.    This is a magnificent attribute to have in a colleague, and it is but one of the many things much appreciated about Caroline.

What, in your opinion, are the outstanding accomplishments of the nominee in the past year?

Sophie couldn't have joined Serials Cataloging at a better time. She started in September, and in October we began cataloging some 1400 electronic serials for the print to electronic conversion project. Sophie jumped right in with characteristic good humor. Her work is excellent quality, she asks good questions, and she was patient with the fact that she was being trained on a format which we are all still learning together. She is also productive, having cataloged close to 450 electronic journals since October (that's a lot!), as well as a number of serials in other formats.

In addition to cataloging serials, Sophie also spends one day each week cataloging  videos. I was impressed with how she integrated this new format into her workflow and organized her time to accommodate it.

How has the work of the nominee affected the way the Libraries' carry out its mission? Your department?

Thanks to Sophie, we actually have a chance at completing the print to electronic cataloging in a designated timeframe. That of course benefits Serials Cataloging, because she has put an enormous amount of effort into an overwhelming project. It also benefits patrons, in that many more electronic journals to which UGA subscribes are now reflected in GIL.

Finally, Sophie has had a positive effect on our work down here in Serials Cataloging. Her positive attitude and good nature make everyone's day a little brighter

What leadership skills has this person demonstrated in the past year?

As I stated before, serials catalogers are still honing the practices for creating records for electronic serials. As particular problems come up, there may not yet be a practice for dealing with them. From the beginning, Sophie took a leadership role in these discussions, enthusiastically participating and offering her ideas. Her insights prove that she has a knack for serials cataloging. Sophie was also an active participant in the larger Print to Electronic Group, which consisted of people from different departments. She is able to work well with her colleagues within and outside of her section. 

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

Sophie is great.

What, in your opinion, are the outstanding accomplishments of the nominee in the past year?

After arriving at UGA in August 2003, Suzanne started surpassing expectations almost immediately. Within her first month of employment, she was already meeting and exceeding the productivity levels suggested for established members of Monographs Original Cataloging. Shortly after her arrival, Suzanne became heavily involved with the Media Department's Commercially Distributed  Video Collection, a collection of thousands of commercially released videos, laserdiscs, and DVDs. This collection had been sporadically cataloged over the years, and the written procedures hadn't been modified in several years and were outdated. Suzanne met with the Media folks, updated the procedures, arranged for older records to be cleaned up, and trained two other librarians in the art of video cataloging. She is still heavily involved with this project, and catalogs a good number of videos each month while still maintaining high standards of work in other areas of her job. Her work on this project is a fine example of Suzanne's enthusiasm about cataloging, her willingness to assume new responsibilities, and her commitment to excellence.

How has the work of the nominee affected the way the Libraries' carry out its mission? Your department?

Suzanne's cataloging expertise has had a positive impact on Monographs Original Cataloging and the Cataloging Department as a whole. She has carved out several niches for herself: she's the local video cataloging expert and an expert in Russian as well. If you have recently remarked over the wondrous array of access points in a GIL record for a video recording, Suzanne was probably involved somehow. If you have marveled at the beauty of the original cataloging record for that Russian novel (an experience common to us all), you are enjoying Suzanne's handiwork again.

What leadership skills has this person demonstrated in the past year?

Suzanne has done a lot of work with Catalogers' Group, an in-house group of cataloging librarians and supervisors who meet periodically to discuss issues related to cataloging on national and international levels. Suzanne has led the past two group meetings, and also drafted a response to the Library of Congress's Cataloging Policy and Support Office on behalf of the Group. (The concerns raised in Suzanne's response were addressed in the next draft written by CPSO. Coincidence? I think not.)

She has also offered cataloging assistance to people in the Peabody Archives and DLG, thus making herself an invaluable resource person for other Libraries staff.

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

In addition to all of her hard work in Cataloging, Suzanne is also on an ACRL committee, is a member of the University of Alabama Library School Association's Board, and is doing lots of exciting research about metadata. Even motherhood is yet another example of her high achieving and multitasking abilities, as demonstrated by her ability to telecommute and soothe an infant at the same time.

What, in your opinion, are the outstanding accomplishments of the nominee in the past year?

Diana's greatest accomplishment is how she has comfortably become an integral part of the Reference Department, especially assuming a large part of the responsibilities from the past Database Performance and Assessment Librarian.  She is called upon whenever a user encounters a glitch in one the myriad databases found in GALILEO.  She works with colleagues in Reference, Serials and Systems, as well as database vendors to diagnose and correct the problems discovered by users.  In addition to troubleshooting, Diane also assesses database usage.

Diana successfully tackles managing and monitoring the GALILEO databases while juggling budget cuts, calls for more online full-text journals, and variety of vendor-related issues.  Her responsibilities for the UGA's electronic resources require the calm personality of someone willing to wade through political and technological rigmarole to get results.  As a first-year faulty member, Diana has superbly attended to this daunting task with her quick grasp of the fundamentals and her ability to communicate effectively with a wide variety of people.

How has the work of the nominee affected the way the Libraries' carry out its mission? Your department?

Diana is the main point-of-contact for resolving electronic access issues and, as such, is central to the UGA Libraries; efforts to allow patrons to utilize our databases via remote locations (i.e. making the libraries virtual).  She is definitely a key figure in ensuring that the UGA Libraries continue to provide high quality service to our users.

What leadership skills has this person demonstrated in the past year?

Diana has been involved in a wide variety of initiatives over the last year to improve Reference services to our user community.  For example, she has explored ways to improve remote access to our resources by providing users information on what cookie settings a particular database needs.  Additionally, she has approached the Ecology Department about providing more bibliographic instructions sessions for their students and staff.  These specific examples, along with her efforts in the community, identify her as an up-and-coming leader in Athens and the UGA Libraries.

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

Diana has taken time outside of work to help her surrounding community.  Diana is an appointed member by Athens-Clarke County of the Athens Regional Library Board.  Additionally, Diana is extremely involved with the Upper Oconee Watershed Network, an organization which is "dedicated to protecting and improving water resources and stream health in the Upper Oconee watershed through community-based Advocacy, Monitoring, and Education.

She has willingly taken on tasks (within and outside of work) that are not for the meek and unmotivated, and the UGA Libraries are truly lucky to have such a dedicated and personable librarian.

What, in your opinion, are the outstanding accomplishments of the nominee in the past year?

Coming straight from Library School, Diana hit the ground running.  She has shown patience and perseverance in dealing with database vendors to find solutions to the many problems which arise frequently and hinder access to electronic resources.  In addition to these duties, she has been an asset to the Reference Desk staff in the Science Library, she is the web editor for the Science Library webpages, and has taught numerous Library Instruction Sessions in Marine Sciences, Veterinary Medicine, Ecology, and Biology, among other subjects.  She has approached teaching with enthusiasm and dedication, creating online supplements for the class sessions. For Research Central, she is the steward for a number of guides and has created a new guide for Veterinary Medicine. <

How has the work of the nominee affected the way the Libraries' carry out its mission? Your department?

The Libraries' Mission statement reads, in part, "The University of Georgia Libraries provide collections and services in support of the instruction, research, and service missions of the University of Georgia." Through providing excellent reference service, teaching library instruction sessions and facilitating access to online resources, Diana plays a vital role in fulfilling all aspects of the Mission of both the Libraries and the Reference Department.

What leadership skills has this person demonstrated in the past year?

Diana has readily adapted to her role as "trouble-shooter" for the databases, working tirelessly with vendors to resolve problems and communicating with her colleagues about both the problem and the solution.  This is a skill which is not taught in Library School, but which must be acquired on the job.  Within a few weeks of joining the Reference Department, she assumed this demanding role.

Further, Diana's willingness to accept "ownership" for several subject guides in Research Central demonstrates her self-confidence and enthusiasm for working as part of a team effort and for improved student access to Libraries' resources.

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

Diana works well with her colleagues and takes things in her stride, making her a pleasure to work with.  In a large department, this is certainly an asset.  She is keen to learn from her colleagues and offers valuable contributions of her own.  Diana is an asset to both the Reference Department and the Libraries and it is our pleasure to nominate her for this award.

What, in your opinion, are the outstanding accomplishments of the nominee in the past year?

Diana has successfully transgressed from a staff employee to a faculty member with insight and panache for looking at problems with a different eye.  Joining Reference at the Science Library, she quickly became a member of the "team", giving input during discussions, a new slant on procedures and a freshness in outlook.  She plunged into teaching classes and has had success with faculty contact to generate new instructional sessions for students.  At the same time, she took on the responsibility of handling all the questions/complaints about e-resources.  Tracking questions, resolving problems and getting feedback to the users in a timely manner has also helped the service image.

How has the work of the nominee affected the way the Libraries' carry out its mission? Your department?

Diana's work with users at the reference desk, in conferences, instructional sessions and via e-library are always positive experiences.

She is thorough but realistic in what she teaches, always well prepared and ready for future help as needed.  Her positive attitude has helped gain inroads into some departments that had not traditionally used Instruction classes in the past.  Broadening our FCU's is imperative if students are to gain the most out of the Libraries' resources offered, and faculty can be encouraged to included critical thinking/research in their class components. Her work as the electronic resources liaison, means staying abreast of the on-line resources, timely reporting of problems and resolution.  This, again, greatly affects the service component of the Libraries' mission.

What leadership skills has this person demonstrated in the past year?

Not a natural leader, but Diana has still had an impact on Reference at Science.  She has stepped forward and made suggestions to procedures and content in teaching/training that has helped all members improve their techniques. Her contact with the remote users and her advocacy for their needs has also been very effective.

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

Diana has successfully melded the knowledge she gained as a staff member and in Library School to be a professional with insight and creativity.

What, in your opinion, are the outstanding accomplishments of the nominee in the past year?

Diana has made excellent progress in outreach to faculty for a first year librarian.  She targeted the Institute of Ecology.  She has e-mailed faculty to explain Research Central or other research services which the Libraries provide.  Through these exchanges she was able to set up  additional class instruction.  Diana has not restricted her lobbying to on campus Ecology faculty.  She also drove to the Savannah River of Ecology Laboratory to see how she could best serve the graduate students and faculty there.

How has the work of the nominee affected the way the Libraries' carry out its mission? Your department?

Database usage is an important aspect of the Reference Department.  Users' demands for instant access to full text wherever possible sometimes makes for tense encounters when something goes amiss.  Diana's helpful attitude calms patrons who are frustrated and assures them that action will be taken to correct whatever connectivity problem they are experiencing.  Her patience and perseverance makes her an excellent public services librarian.

What leadership skills has this person demonstrated in the past year?

Shortly after her arrival in the Department, Diana was given the oversight of database assessment and database troubleshooting responsibilities.  Diana conferred with colleagues, principally Monica Pereira and Patrick Reidenbaugh, about a webpage of trouble-shooting tips. She worked out a system to share the e-mail traffic from users who have difficulty accessing a file.  All of this was done quickly and collaboratively with an emphasis on providing answers to users in the most efficient manner.

Diana also reviewed the usage statistics with Regina House and Ted Bazemore.  When inconsistencies in reporting were found she queried the vendors to learn about their definitions for searches, hits, downloads, and similar terms, so that our statistics would be as accurate as possible.

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

Diana is active on the Clarke County Regional Library Board where she reviews books and media which a user has complained about. She and her colleagues on the Board have to find consensus on each title.  Diana often finds herself fighting against censorship as she debates with community members who have more conservative views. She is also active in water quality management by participating in the Upper Oconee Watershed Network which tests water samples.

Katia Roberto (1 out of 2)

What, in your opinion, are the outstanding accomplishments of the nominee in the past year?

Katia arrived (emphasis on the arrived.) Not only did she take her position, she made it her own.

How has the work of the nominee affected the way the Libraries' carry out its mission? Your department?

Katia helps operations run more smoothly in the basement. She is always accessible and friendly, knowledgeable, and ready to make a positive suggestion in even the worst circumstances. (Plus, she spells better than I do.) She is not part of my department, but I wish she were!

What leadership skills has this person demonstrated in the past year?

Katia's gentle humor eases the rough moments and her keen observations about people and the way things work go far toward seasoning the day with wit. Katia is very hands on and her enthusiasm promotes cooperation. Want something done? Ask Katia how! She'll not only tell you, she'll show you how things should be handled.

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

She's the best! If the librarian action figure had been modeled on Katia it would have been fully articulated. You can't keep her down.

What, in your opinion, are the outstanding accomplishments of the nominee in the past year?

As the new Head of Monographs Cataloging, Katia rose to the challenge of being a supervisor of a Section which had been completely vacant for many months before the arrival of the first new Cataloger. Katia was responsible for seeing the Section rebuilt and productive.  As the new Catalogers became trained, Monographs was able to take on more cataloging, including a backlog of uncataloged materials, videotapes, and special cataloging projects. Katia is a patient and knowledgeable supervisor who works extremely well with all members of Cataloging.

Katia essentially started with a blank page in Monographs Cataloging and is well on the way to writing a novel.

In reducing the backlog of uncataloged materials, Katia has facilitated access to the Libraries collection for patrons through complete and accurate records in GIL. While the service that she provides to the patrons may be "behind the scenes," without the work of the Catalogers, finding material in GIL would be much more difficult if not impossible. Katia realizes the importance of her work and if she finds a related GIL problem in the course of cataloging a title, she always investigates or routes it to the appropriate person, thus aiding in maintaining the integrity of the catalog.

What leadership skills has this person demonstrated in the past year?

Katia's involvement in professional development and issues is fantastic. She co-edited, Revolting librarians redux: radical librarians speak out, and this year was elected to ALA Council. Katia's commitment and service to the library profession is as much a priority to her as her service to the patrons of the Libraries. Although Katia is very hardworking and serious about her work, she is good humored and patiently answers questions.

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

She works hard, understands her role in the Libraries and the importance of her work to our patrons as well as the profession. She is kind, patient, knowledgeable, and approachable. Katia is already a GOOD librarian. We are lucky to have her.

What, in your opinion, are the outstanding accomplishments of the nominee in the past year?

Although new to the UGA Libraries, Amy was able to take on the task of coordinating library instruction classes for the Main Library, and among her other tasks initiated a group project to create a database of handouts made in the Libraries for students.

How has the work of the nominee affected the way the Libraries' carry out its mission? Your department?

Amy has contributed to the overall coordination of the bibliographic instruction programs in the Main and Science Libraries and the SLC.

What leadership skills has this person demonstrated in the past year?

Amy has been diligent in gathering BI statistics from her colleagues, and, in turn, has looked for ways, like the handouts database, to make their teaching easier.