Unsung Hero/ine Nominees

What is the nominee's position and what is the nature of his/her job?

Sherry is the bibliographer in Collection Development for Classics, Religion, Philosophy, Anthropology, Linguistics, and Law. She is also responsible for German, Italian, Russian/East European, African, Middle-Eastern, Asian and all other foreign languages and literatures except French and Spanish/Portuguese.

How long has the employee been employed at the UGA Libraries?

30 years!

How has the nominee's hard work affected your unit and/or department, as well as the Libraries?

The obvious benefit of Sherry's work is that we have books on the shelves in all of her subject areas. With some books coming on approval we may forget about all of the intellectual work, judgment calls and money that come into play when selecting books for purchase. This is enormously time-consuming and requires knowledge of the subject areas and publishers, as well as a mastery of budgets and collection development policies and procedures. If you have any doubts about this, drop by Sherry's office and see all the notification forms from vendors that require a purchasing decision.

How would the work environment at the UGA Libraries be different without nominee?

If we did not have Sherry holding down so many subject areas, the rest of us would certainly have a lot of extra work, or we would have to hire new employees. We do not have experts in all of these subject areas, and parceling them out to staff less experienced in collection development would entail a big learning curve for the new bibliographers. Someday we will have to face this, when Sherry retires. In Collection Development meetings we see how important her experience is when Nan McMurry announces "Sherry noticed that...". This is usually some anomaly that reflects what books we are or are not getting, but that nobody else has noticed.

Despite lack of recognition, what makes the nominee an integral part of the UGA Libraries' mission?

Our mission is to provide those books and electronic resources that faculty and students need for their research, and Sherry's collection development activities accomplish this for a large segment of our user community. With limited budgets, selecting the best resources is an art founded on knowledge and experience. After 30 years at the Libraries, think how much our collection reflects Sherry's knowledge and hard work!

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

Sherry is a quiet person in a smaller department, and her office is tucked away on the third floor, so you might not see her a lot, but she is responsible for effectively spending tens of thousands of dollars. In the last couple of years she has added Italian, Anthropology, and Law to her already full slate of subject areas. Her work is not merely a job for her, but an extension of her intellectual curiosity. For example, on her own initiative she has pursued learning Italian and Ancient Greek, both of which help in her duties as bibliographer.

What is the nominee's position and what is the nature of his/her job?

Corwyn is the Shelving Supervisor in charge of Repository Operations.  He is responsible for retrieving and shelving material at the Libraries' Repository.

How long has the employee been employed at the UGA Libraries?

Corwyn has been employed as a staff member since August 2003.

How has the nominee's hard work affected your unit and/or department, as well as the Libraries?

Corwyn, usually with only two other students and sometimes by himself, makes sure that books are retrieved from the Repository as timely as possible.  At the same time, he has overseen the transport to and the integration of several hundred books on the newly opened second level of the Repository.  Without his efforts, patrons of the Libraries would not receive their requested books, and we would still have space issues at the Main Libary.

How would the work environment at the UGA Libraries be different without nominee?

Corwyn tries to inject a little bit of humor while he is on the job.  Having him on the job makes shelving books a little more fun and a lot less dreary.

Despite lack of recognition, what makes the nominee an integral part of the UGA Libraries' mission?

Since the Libraries' mission is to aid in the research projects of students and faculty, Corwyn's retrieval and transport of material to the Repository insures that the material is available for patrons to use.  In this sense, Corwyn's work is not just a part of the mission--it is the mission!

What is the nominee's position and what is the nature of his/her job?

Serials Holdings Associate.  She is the guru of all things associated with serials holdings.  She helps consolidate & maintain the records which tell the library & its patrons what exactly is owned & where it can be found. The work is technical and quite complicated, especially when it comes to recording holdings for very old serials and solving problems. It requires not only a knowledge of the MARC format for holdings, but also, to do the job as well as Renee does, it requires a knowing the history of when things were done which way and why.

How long has the employee been employed at the UGA Libraries?

25+ years

How has the nominee's hard work affected your unit and/or department, as well as the Libraries?

Having served on many committees and task forces, Renee's expertise can always be counted on. She's made UGA look good by gaining national recognition for her work inputting publication patterns in OCLC records.

In addition, any questions or problems regarding serial holdings come to her. Due to various changes in practice and problems from migration, what appears to be a minor concern freqently snowballs and turns into a huge mess, which Renee can straighten out both on time and ahead of schedule. On the few occasions when Renee does take time off, there is a parade of people from all over the libraries waiting for her return. (A typical exchange might go like this: "Renee's not here? When is she coming back? Next week? Oh. [Pause] In that case, I'll just leave this armful of stuff on her desk with a little note...")

How would the work environment at the UGA Libraries be different without nominee?

We would lose a tremendous amount of history and knowledge of the way things were done over the past two and a half decades.  History is extremely important to serials because we provide access to titles over a great span of time, regarless of format of both the serials themselves, as well as the way the holdings were recorded.  Much of this information would indeed be lost if not for Renee.

Despite lack of recognition, what makes the nominee an integral part of the UGA Libraries' mission?

Anyone looking for a particluar issue of a serial, journal, perodical, what have you, needs the work that Renee does.  This goes for location as well (i.e., which volumes are at the repository, etc.) and many numerous projects, conversions, and moves that happen throughout the libraries over time.

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

Renee is a joy to work with.  She does the vital, but somewhat unglamorous, work of serials holdings with exceptional grace, knowledge, and flair.

What is the nominee's position and what is the nature of his/her job?

Jesse is the supervisor for the Shelving Unit in the Main Library.  The nature of his job is ever-changing.  Yes, he coordinates all of the shelving duties within the Main Library.  Yes, he supervises numerous shelvers and keeps the books moving through the Main Library.  However, Jesse doesn't just deal with shelving at the Main Library.  That would be too easy.  Jesse's responsibilities go much further than the security gates.

In addition to keeping things running in the Shelving Unit, Jesse also keeps the Repository in order by coordinating the non-stop shifting of materials and never ending patron requests.  But wait, there's more!

The fire that damaged the second floor of the Main Library didn't just impact some UN documents and some dusty gov docs.  The fire impacted every item on that side of the second floor.  The relocation of the affected items to the "Robo" just increased Jesse's responsibilities.

How long has the employee been employed at the UGA Libraries?

Jesse has been employed by the UGA Libraries in many, many capacities since 1997/1998.

How has the nominee's hard work affected your unit and/or department, as well as the Libraries?

Where do I start? 

I first encountered Jesse's keen knowledge of the Libraries during HVAC. Jesse discovered an item that was marked incorrectly.  Not only did he return the item from the Repo, but he knew what the correct call number should have been.  That may not sound impressive, but it was a gov doc.  What stuck with me was that he understood the SuDoc system and he cared enough about the collections to worry about the details, to look at each piece carefully.  Jesse helped to make HVAC more bearable.  I knew if there was an item at the Repo and it needed to be located quickly, Jesse was the person for the job.  And he never let me down.

Now, with the fire situation, Jesse is at it again.  His coordination of the shelving at the Main Library, the Repo, the Robo, and the renovated second floor space is something to admire.

How would the work environment at the UGA Libraries be different without nominee?

Jesse's calm and thoughtful manner radiates confidence, no matter what the situation. Without Jesse, I do not believe that HVAC, the Repo, the Robo, or the second floor planning would have run as smoothly. In my opinion, it would take at least three people to do what Jesse does in a typical week.  Once Jesse gets going on something, you know it is taken care of. 

Despite lack of recognition, what makes the nominee an integral part of the UGA Libraries' mission?

Besides his incredible work ethic, Jesse has a wonderful personality.  He takes his job seriously, yet maintains a great sense of humor. He takes on every project with a realistic view taking all factors into account. Professional to both patrons and staff members, Jesse is a great ambassador for the Libraries.

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

Year after year, Jesse is nominated for an ASSET award.  However, I don't believe that he has ever received an award.  This year, Jesse has gone well beyond his position description to keep things running smoothly for staff and patrons. Jesse is truly deserving of the Unsung Hero Award.  Even though he would never seek attention for "just doing his job", I believe that Jesse would really appreciate recognition from the Libraries.

What is the nominee's position and what is the nature of his/her job?

Anne Marie is the Digital Conversion Manager for the Digital Library of Georgia. She manages the students who assist in creating metadata and textual mark-up for DLG projects. Additionally, she manages the student budget for all the digital conversion units in the department and creates contextual materials for our projects.

How long has the employee been employed at the UGA Libraries?

Approximately two years.

How has the nominee's hard work affected your unit and/or department, as well as the Libraries?

Through Anne Marie's careful attention to our student budget, DLG has been able to plan more effectively for our projects. She maximizes our student's output by creating a friendly yet production-oriented environment. With her assistance, in the last year, we have completed two Georgia HomePLACE projects under very tight deadlines. The DLG's success with Georgia HomePLACE helps us to broaden the scope of our outeach activities and helps us in creating a truly collaborative, state-wide digital project.

How would the work environment at the UGA Libraries be different without nominee?

The exacting and high-quality work that Anne Marie both produces and manages are hallmarks of the DLG's success. Without her hard work and that of her cadre of students, projects would proceed more slowly and may not be of such high quality.

Despite lack of recognition, what makes the nominee an integral part of the UGA Libraries' mission?

Through Anne Marie's efforts, web users throughout the world are exposed to the rich heritage of the state through the DLG's projects.

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

While juggling her myriad responsibilities as Digital Conversion Manager, Anne Marie successfully defended her dissertation this year.

What is the nominee's position and what is the nature of his/her job?

Monographs Original Cataloger

Kelly is responsible for providing access to monographic materials in a wide variety of languages, subject areas, and formats. She is responsible for both original and complex copy cataloging. Until recently, she was also responsible for cataloging Georgia state serials in consultation with Susan Tuggle in addition to her regular job requirements.

How long has the employee been employed at the UGA Libraries?

Kelly began working here in 1996 and has been in her current position since early 2003.

How has the nominee's hard work affected your unit and/or department, as well as the Libraries?

Kelly is always willing to take on new responsibilities and assist others. When asked to work with unfamiliar formats, she does so without hesitation.  She regularly exceeds the expected productivity levels in her section, is not afraid to ask questions, and her enthusiasm is infectious.

After the fire on the second floor, Kelly was one of a hand-picked team of volunteers who worked with Nan McMurry to salvage government documents. Once their work was over, she joined the rest of the Cataloging staff in a massive shelfreading project. She seems to have boundless energy.

How would the work environment at the UGA Libraries be different without nominee?

Many of her coworkers would be visibly crankier, not only because there would be considerably more work to do without Kelly's hard work, but also because she has a real gift for improving people's moods. She is the type of person who can make someone look forward to coming to work and cataloging authorized reproductions of people's dissertations. This is an enviable skill.

Despite lack of recognition, what makes the nominee an integral part of the UGA Libraries' mission?

Kelly has repeatedly proven herself to be very reliable and dependable. Her commitment to high standards in cataloging is readily apparent. She is very motivated and organized. She always gets the job done, is willing to go out of her way to do so, and still has a good sense of humor about it all. What more could you ask for?

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

Kelly has worked in a number of different areas throughout the Libraries, and I don't know of any former coworkers who would not speak highly of her as a colleague. That, in and of itself, is a testament to her abilities.

What is the nominee's position and what is the nature of his/her job?

Rachel is the Library Assistant III in the Serials Binding unit. Her job description states that she is responsible for gathering periodicals for binding and processing periodicals, serials, and monographs sent to and returned from the commercial bindery. She is also responsible for creating and maintaining item records by imputting and updating data on GIL, helping to solve problems associated with binding, and assisting in the preservation of library materials by mending and repairing books when appropriate. What she actually does, however, is far more entailed. She has been ready and willing to perform any task that is asked of her, well beyond the realm of what is listed in her job description. She comes to the aid of her supervisors and co-workers in whatever way she can.

How long has the employee been employed at the UGA Libraries?

Rachel has only been employed by the library for a little more than three months. However, in that short period of time, she has left an indelable impression on our department.

How has the nominee's hard work affected your unit and/or department, as well as the Libraries?

This employee has really been a miracle for our department. It is incredibly rare to find an employee who fits so immediately and perfectly into the fabric of the office. It is as though she were made for the job. As perfect as she is for this particular job, though, I do not believe her effectiveness is exclusive to this position. I really believe that she would excel in any position she was hired for. She has the drive and tenacity that will make her a success in any endeavor she attempts and I am sure that she will be an asset to this library for as long as she chooses to remain here.

How would the work environment at the UGA Libraries be different without nominee?

Though she has only been here a brief time, her absence would leave a gaping whole in our department as well as in the libraries as a whole. She is the kind of quiet, hard-working employee that regularly goes above and beyond what is expected of her without ever making anyone else aware of it. This is the type of employee most deserving of our recognition and, because of their reluctance to flaunt their day to day accomplishments, the least likely to receive it.

Despite lack of recognition, what makes the nominee an integral part of the UGA Libraries' mission?

In her work, Rachel is able to find the perfect balance between the need for maximum celerity and maximum accuracy. She knows that the work that she does is part of a greater workflow that in some way affects the work of almost every other employee in the library. She is a team player and she relishes hard work just as fervently as some shrink from it.

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

Rachel is one of the hardest working employees that I have ever encountered. Her work ethic is impeccable. Even after suffering an emergency appendectomy earlier this year, she was incredibly eager to get back to work. She would've come back to work the next day if her doctor had released her :) I know that all of the employees here at the library are hard workers, but I cannot imagine anyone being more deserving of this honor than Rachel Parnell.