Outstanding Employee of the Year -- Faculty Nominations
(aka University Librarian's Award)
Awarded to an outstanding Faculty member for continued exemplary service to the mission of the Libraries. The recipient will have exhibited exceptional job performance, attitude, and interpersonal working relationships within the libraries and/or the University community. Nominations are accepted from all employees, however, recipients are ultimately selected by Bill Potter, University Librarian.
Media Archive and Media Department
Ruta's position is that of leader to two conjoined departments that share some vital organs but have separate minds and purposes. She is Director, Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection and Head, Media Department. I was going to nominate Ruta as outstanding supervisor but realized that she is also outstanding as a department head.
Ruta effectively manages the varied work of a diverse staff. On a given day, she may have to: deal with a disgruntled patron who does not understand why he should have to return a video within the agreed checkout period; meet with a NEH grant supervisor to talk about our latest preservation project; make decisions about patron interfaces for new collection databases; solve a problem with transfer equipment; provide reference assistance to someone looking for a television program their uncle was in sometime in the 1950s; meet with prospective donors; and suggest titles for Women's History Month screenings. Ruta does each of these tasks (and many others) well. Among the skills that make her such a valuable ASSET to the libraries are her ability to communicate with diverse people and to form positive working relationships with them; her knowledge of film, radio, and popular culture; her readiness to leave her ego at the door and focus on the Libraries' mission rather than her
personal priorities; and her ability to see the big picture and to make wise long-term decisions. Ruta is always ready to give advice to her staff but encourages them to exercise autonomy, take risks, try new things, and take their work up to the next level.
She has written several successful grants in the past year; most recently, gaining the Libraries a $300,000 preservation grant for Peabody Collection work. Ruta is truly an outstanding employee and a real ASSET to her departments, the Libraries, and the University.
Science Reference Department
In the last six years, Science Reference has seen a 200 - 300% increase in contact with users for BI sessions. Infact it was noted that last year Science Reference conducted 60% of the BI sessions for th 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.
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 put the 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.
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!!
Digital Library of Georgia
Ms. McAlister has been a champion and advocate for the mission of the Digital Library of Georgia and the larger mission of the University Libraries for a number of years.
In addition to her sterling work inside of the requirements of her position, she has been a visible ambassador for DLG in a variety of community and professional settings. In addition to currently serving as President of the Society of Georgia Archivists, Sheila has been the public face of DLG at numerous conferences and meetings. Her growth as a professional continues with attendance and presentations at regional and national meetings, and she is a rising star in the rapidly growing world of digital information storage and retrieval.
Sheila well represents UGA's place as a leader in the field of digital technology, and is working hard to help maintain UGA Libraries' pre-eminence in this cutting-edge next horizon of information science.
