Extra Mile "Above and Beyond" Nominees
This award will be presented to a person who frequently and consistently has worked outside normal expectations to make a difference, or who has worked under adverse conditions but was still able to provide quality service or outstanding production levels.
Cataloging
What is the nominee's position and what is the nature of his/her job? What are the normal expectations?
Tom has stepped into the world of map cataloging. This involves interpreting a variety of physical pieces, with many records starting from scratch.
Please describe how has the nominee frequently and consistently surpasses normal expectations.
There are A LOT of neat maps that students may not know we have. Tom is eager to get them cataloged and available for the public to enjoy.
How has the nominee's hard work affected your unit and/or department? How has his/her hard work affected the Libraries?
The maps and Tom will have their own building, at the end of Milledge. It is a change in work atmosphere and even how to get to work, for Tom. He, and the maps, are very excited about this change.
What else do you think the ASSET Awards Committee should know about your
nominee?
Tom is always so nice and greets everyone in the morning and says `see ya' in the afternoon. He is also active with a few committees. Tom genuinely enjoys working at the library, helping to provide valuable information to the students.
Digital Library of Georgia
What is the nominee's position and what is the nature of his/her job? What are the normal expectations?
Project Manager and Digital Metadata Coordinator
Please describe how has the nominee frequently and consistently surpasses normal expectations.
Sheila devotes significant time and energy to recognized professional organizations, publications, outreach projects, and the development of digital projects and archives.
How has the nominee's hard work affected your unit and/or department? How has his/her hard work affected the Libraries?
Undoubtedly, her efforts bring distinction and recognition to our department, unit, & to the libraries. What I find incredible is that she has managed to balance a significant load of professional obligations while also working during the final semester of her MLIS degree.
What else do you think the ASSET Awards Committee should know about your
nominee?
Since I'm not her supervisor, I don't feel qualified to answer the previous three questions, but I can say that Sheila balances hard work, diligence, and ambition, with courtesy and fairness.
Debbie McAnallen (1 out of 3)
Cataloging
What is the nominee's position and what is the nature of his/her job? What are the normal expectations?
What is the nominee's position and what is the nature of his/her job? What are the normal expectations?
Acting Head of Cataloging, Authorities Librarian
Please describe how has the nominee frequently and consistently surpasses normal expectations.
Debbie currently serves as the Acting Head of Cataloging. Prior to that move, she was the Assistant Head of Cataloging. Whenever the Dept. Head was away from Cataloging, Debbie was the "go to" person. She helped to resolve an assortment of problems as well as kept the department humming along. Debbie never hesitates to lend a helping hand or go the "extra mile" when it comes to helping her staff, colleagues or the Cataloging Department. Her insights and history into the Libraries, the Libraries' catalogs (MARVEL[remember that one?], GALIN, and GIL), as well as cataloging practices and OCLC, give her a technical expertise that enhances her depth of management experience. Debbie's expertise, patience, and commitment have never been more evident than in the past year. She stepped in when Ann was out for a health-related issue for 6 weeks in February, filled in for Ann for most of September and October, and ultimately assumed responsibilities as Acting Head in Nove!
mber. In the absence of a Dept. Head, Debbie took on extra responsibilities all while performing her normal duties.
Although there were many decisions that needed to be made on a daily basis, Debbie patiently addressed and handled these with her usual attention to detail and professionalism.
Examples:
- Attended DHG as an alternate for the Dept. Head
- Continued the weekly Cataloging Department meetings to keep faculty and staff informed
- Attended numerous other meetings for the Dept. Head.
Debbie's first weeks as Acting Department Head were really trial-by-fire. She had very little time to adjust to her new position before having to deal with some major adjustments. One instance that comes to mind is the Repository Permanent Location Pilot Project. This involved major additions of work for several sections in the Department, as well as working with the interests of other Departments. She spearheaded a project to see whether or not changing the Repository to a permanent location was indeed feasible. When there was a setback after the Pilot was finished, Debbie was instrumental in negotiating a compromise.
How has the nominee's hard work affected your unit and/or department? How has his/her hard work affected the Libraries?
Debbie kept Cataloging up to speed and productive during a time of transition. In addition the Department Head retiring, there were several personnel changes in Cataloging. Because of Debbie's excellent interpersonal and organizational skills, minimal impact was felt by the changes and the department continued to run smoothly. Her willingness to step forward and handle both routine and unusual issues with patience and a wealth of technical expertise, have been critical in keeping the department on an even keel.
Additionally, Debbie has guided the Cataloging Department Section Heads and provided the support that they need to do their jobs. Because of her support, the Sections and Units within the department run smoothly, with workflow issues and concerns being addressed and resolved in a timely manner.
What else do you think the ASSET Awards Committee should know about your
nominee?
Besides Debbie's professionalism and technical expertise, Debbie is an insightful and sensitive manager. She is a patient listener to her staff and provides a welcome ear as needed. Her open door policy is truly that. Debbie's professionalism and willingness to go the extra mile is amazing. She is truly doing two jobs at one time, with grace, patience, and humor.
Debbie McAnallen (2 out of 3)
Cataloging
What is the nominee's position and what is the nature of his/her job? What are the normal expectations?
Interim Head, Cataloging Department. Essentially the job requirements are those of Department Head, though without any expectations of innovation or major departmental policy changes that might conceivably go with being actual department head over time. Prior to accepting this assignment, Debbie's job title was Assistant Department Head, which had responsibility for acting as primary supervisor of the Cataloging Department in the absence of the Head and for answering questions about departmental policies and procedures in the absence of the Head. She was also our principal authorities librarian, in charge of the section responsible for working closely with Marcive, Inc. and maintaining headings in the GIL catalog.
Please describe how has the nominee frequently and consistently surpasses normal expectations.
Since Ann Hope retired in December 2004, Debbie has assumed responsibility for numerous complex projects involving the Cataloging Department, including but not limited to: planning for changes in handling materials destined for the Repository; following through on changes in the OCLC Connexion client and ongoing training for staff; continuing to support department faculty and staff in their professional and staff development efforts in the absence of any travel money; assisting with the planning for and execution of a smooth transition of the map collection from Science to the Thomas Textiles building, including staffing issues; and helping a large staff and large number of supervisors cope with and understand the changes to the Family and Medical Leave Act, paperwork for staff and student employment status changes, and to the Libraries job classifications. She has also ensured that vacancies of mission-critical staff in the department are promptly filled according to established protocols. In spite of the fact that the Libraries could not move to fill the position of Head of Cataloging until Fiscal Year 2006, Debbie has been successful at these myriad difficult tasks that she has performed as an interim head with astonishing grace and equanimity while continuing to perform all the duties she did while Assistant Department Head.
How has the nominee's hard work affected your unit and/or department? How has his/her hard work affected the Libraries?
In terms just of our daily work, the Cataloging Department has barely noticed the departure of our former Department Head (which is quite a tribute to both Ann and Debbie, actually!). To be able to experience such a change of leadership mid-fiscal year and not have our workflow disrupted or our morale slip is testimony to the great care with which Debbie has actively sought continuity with our immediate past while continuing to move forward with projects that are necessary for other departments in the Libraries and for the public.
What else do you think the ASSET Awards Committee should know about your
nominee?
Debbie is a tough negotiator, but also a pragmatist; a strong advocate for the Libraries and her department. She will go the extra mile-and-a-half whenever her department or the Libraries ask it of her, just because that's what she expects of herself as "all systems normal." That she asks the same of the rest of us is an honor.
Debbie McAnallen (3 out of 3)
Cataloging
Please Note: This nomination was originally submitted for Outstanding Department Head, but reclassified by the ASSET Awards Committee
Please describe what makes this person an outstanding department head (e.g., managerial skills, teaching ability, interpersonal skills, attitude, leadership, etc.).
Since Debbie stepped in as interim head, morale in the department has improved--it has more of a family feel now. She leads by example and by earning trust.
I am thankful for her leadership because I've always felt that she has my best interests and the best interests of the UGA Libraries in mind. She views Cataloging as a part of a greater whole and tries to find ways that we can help the larger organization beyond what we do everyday.
Debbie has a sincere interest in the development of her people. She has allowed her librarians to explore opportunities to develop themselves professionally and to further the library mission.
Is there a specific incident you'd like to cite? For example, has this person led your department through a difficult change while maintaining a focus on the Libraries' mission?
Debbie stepped in as Interim Head officially this year, but she had been handling the day-to-day operations since November 2004. Although, she didn't want the additional responsibilities and duties, she's handled all the pressures with grace.
Please describe how the nominee has contributed to the individual goals of the employees in his/her department while focusing on the Libraries' mission.
She enthusiastically supports additional training, and she has been willing to loan two of her librarians physically out of the department on special assignements for the greater good of the Libraries (Tom Cutshall at the map library and Suzanne Graham for a special collections project).
What else do you think the ASSET Awards Committee should know about your nominee?
Debbie is such a humble person that she will probably be embarrassed by this nomination. She doesn't work for acclades or for self-promotion, but she is one of those great individuals that likes to work and likes to interact and to help people.
I think some of us in the Libraries expected her to just hold the department together until a replacement could be found. Personally, I hope she stays on as the new Head of Cataloging. She has earned my respect.
Mike Parrish (1 out of 2)
Technical Support
What is the nominee's position and what is the nature of his/her job? What are the normal expectations?
What is the nominee's position and what is the nature of his/her job? What are the normal expectations?
Mike Parrish is a network systems support technician. He maintains both public and staff workstations and works on implementing new software such as Microsoft XP.
Please describe how has the nominee frequently and consistently surpasses normal expectations.
According to Dan Murphy Mike found a way to use the LDAP software to make the public workstations stable. While the Reference Department used to be plagued with files downloaded onto public workstations, we no longer find this each morning. Once the decision was made to add Microsoft Office and require each student to log in, different protocols were put in place. The public machines were recloned and our problems vanished. Also Mike used this same software to enable the laptop notebooks to be secure. They can be cleaned of files each time they are returned. The Libraries website and databases remain uncorrupted. I understand that moving to XP opened up some possible corrective actions that were not available to us before, but Mike was a major player in the process of deciding how to implement solutions.
How has the nominee's hard work affected your unit and/or department? How has his/her hard work affected the Libraries?
No longer does the Reference Department have to manually try to delete unwanted files and screen savers. This used to take a considerable amount of time each morning. Now there are no pornographic pictures waiting to pop up before the unsuspecting user. Also foreign language products do not appear on the desk top. No longer do the laptops sit in the Systems office unused because the security risks where too high to let them circulate as we had intended. Library users have better tools to assist them.
What else do you think the ASSET Awards Committee should know about your
nominee?
Figuring out computer software incompatibilities and other problems can make some technicians noticeably furstrated and defensive. Mike is relaxed and friendly. He never seems vexed by a problem despite the time it sometimes takes to analyze it and then correct it.
Mike Parrish (2 out of 2)Technical Support
What is the nominee's position and what is the nature of his/her job? What are the normal expectations?
Tech support
Please describe how has the nominee frequently and consistently surpasses normal expectations.
Mike is ALWAYS pleasant, regardless of how many times we have to bother him. Even though he CERTAINLY knows far more about computers & networks than I do, he never speaks down to me, or makes me feel incompetent. In my experience, there have been few tech support employees who manage to be helpful, pleasant AND respond in a timely manner.
How has the nominee's hard work affected your unit and/or department? How has his/her hard work affected the Libraries?
I don't know how any of us could get our job done if he wasn't around to help us out. I'm sure that there are plenty of people in the libraries who feel the same way.
What else do you think the ASSET Awards Committee should know about your
nominee?
He is such a nice guy to work with...SO helpful.
Science Reference
What is the nominee's position and what is the nature of his/her job? What are the normal expectations?
Monica is a reference librarian at the Science Library besides reference her other duties include teaching BI sessions, outreach to departments and the coordination of galileo links.
Please describe how has the nominee frequently and consistently surpasses normal expectations.
In the last six years, Science Reference has seen a 200 - 300% increase in contact with users for BI sessions. In fact, it was noted that last year Science Reference conducted 60% of the BI sessions for the whole of reference. Considering there are only 2 librarians this is phenominal. What is really remarkable is Monica's continued energy and excitement in constantly seeking out new contacts in the sciences for BI sessions and the enthusiasm she approaches every class with. She often works 12 hour days, teaching classes/sessions whenever the demand is made from early morning to evening, weekends too. Her philosophy is to get the user "hooked" so they will want us to return and then also work with us. On top of that, she is the "go to person" for links in GALILEO for UGA purchased databases. If problems arise with access to databases she again applies herself until the task is done and access returned, time is of no consequence to her.
How has the nominee's hard work affected your unit and/or department? How has his/her hard work affected the Libraries?
The tremendous efforts Monica makes has been directly responsible for the increase in BI sessions done at the Science Library. Her enthusiasm is contagious and she draws all who will help into the plot. She has encouraged reluctant teachers to take a stab at a class with her support. Consequently, several paraprofessionals, especially those working on attaining an MLS, are getting experience and resume builders under her guidance.
The image portrayed by Monica's devotion to libraries, books and library literacy has but te Libraries as a whole on the front page for many departments. The teachers of classes are sought out for questions; and the overall support for the Liraries on south campus has increased.
What else do you think the ASSET Awards Committee should know about your
nominee?
Monica's love of books, and libraries are evident in her work. Being a librarian is not just a job to her it is a way of life!!
Media/Collection Development
What is the nominee's position and what is the nature of his/her job? What are the normal expectations?
In Media Archives, Laura is the Media Archives Cataloger. Her primary job is to catalog programs in the Peabody Awards Collection. In Collection Development, Laura is the Latin American bibliographer. Her primary duty is to build the library's collection of Spanish and Portuguese language materials and other materials related to Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking parts of the world.
Please describe how has the nominee frequently and consistently surpasses normal expectations.
For many people, a divided position would lead to divided effort. Laura's superpower is to multiply, rather than divide, her energies between the two departments. Her bibliographic work contributes to her work with the Peabody Collection and her knowledge of that collection informs her work as a bibliographer.
How has the nominee's hard work affected your unit and/or department? How has his/her hard work affected the Libraries?
Laura acted as liason with Jose Alvarez to obtain the donation of over a hundred foreign-language films to the media department. She has worked exceptionally hard to make sure that those in the UGA community who are interested in Latin American studies are aware of the Peabody Collection's Hispanic/Latino History and Culture programs and has used her expertise as a bibliographer to identify those programs in the Peabody Collection and to support the expansion of the Media Department's commercial collection in areas related to Latin American studies.
What else do you think the ASSET Awards Committee should know about your
nominee?
Among Laura's other superpowers are hard work and energy. If there is a dusty collection to be packed in a filthy warehouse and brought into Media Archives on a hot or rainy day, she will start first, work the hardest, and not stop until the job is done.
Technical Support
What is the nominee's position and what is the nature of his/her job? What are the normal expectations?
tech support
Please describe how has the nominee frequently and consistently surpasses normal expectations.
Mike is pleasant, funny, and thorough. In my work experience, it is uncommon to find all of these characteristics in tech support staff!
How has the nominee's hard work affected your unit and/or department? How has his/her hard work affected the Libraries?
There are so many issues that can affect our day-to-day workflow--network access, our student worker access, software conflicts, missing plug-ins, etc...Mike always comes to the rescue when called. He solves problems quickly, and usually has a funny story to tell us while he's doing it.
What else do you think the ASSET Awards Committee should know about your
nominee?
Mike's dependable, thorough...and HILARIOUS.
