Other Duties as Assigned
Awarded to the person asked to perform the most outlandish, less than appealing, or simply unusual task for the benefit of the UGA Libraries and not already included in the nominee's job description.
Virginia Feher
ILL
Please describe the specific situation in when an employee was asked to complete an unusual task.
Ginny is continually tasked with being the frontperson for our entire dept. (both lending and borrowing) on anything involving computer problems. This comes up at least 4 times a week, or so it seems recently.What was the nominee asked to do that fell outside of his/her job description?
Most recently and specifically, she worked with the Computer People to resolve a problem involving delivering articles to patrons electronically caused by a software "upgrade."How did the nominee overcome/complete the task?
She spent all day trying to figure out what the problem was, coming up with hypotheses and testing them herself (when possible), or conveying them to IT people, or arguing with OCLC tech support about them. She was the fulcrum between OCLC and our IT peopleHow bad was the situation/task?
Well, it took all day from 9-4 pm, and required steadfastness in the face of numerous frustrations--both with OCLC personel, and because they kept coming up with great hypotheses about what the problem was that never seemed to work.What else do you think the ASSET Awards Committee should know about your nominee?
Ginny views the experience as a learning process that furthered her understanding of the relationships between hardware, software, servers, firewalls, and I don't even know what else!Mandy Mastrovita
Digital Library of Georgia
Please describe the specific situation in when an employee was asked to complete an unusual task.
As part of its promotional efforts, the DLG produced a poster to be distributed to all 2000+ GALILEO member institutions. Mandy played an integral role in the design and the distribution (by bulk mail) of the poster.What was the nominee asked to do that fell outside of his/her job description?
At the time of the project, Mandy's position description did not include either graphic design nor "mail-out" coordination.How did the nominee overcome/complete the task?
Having a both background in non-profit arts administration and in printmaking, Mandy was already familiar the process of executing and delivering promotional materials to a large constituency. Mandy assisted in selecting and communicating with the printer as well as in the production of the accompanying letter. Additionally, she single-handedly organized the stuffing and organization of the bulk mailing.How bad was the situation/task?
Bulk mailing is a complicated process. To qualify for this lower postage rate, mailings must be presorted, bundled, and placed into containers by ZIP code. One sorts to specific areas, and then work your way up to more general areas.What else do you think the ASSET Awards Committee should know about your nominee?
Mandy is an essential part of the DLG success. She is a jack-of-all trades, multi-talented, and always ready to pitch in. She has excellent organizational skills and is a true pleasure to work with. Mandy is an absolute gem.Mike Richmond
Media Department/Media Archives
Please describe the specific situation in when an employee was asked to complete an unusual task.
Mike had been asked to destroy approximately 3000 VHS tapes (maybe more?). These VHS tapes are duplicates from the Peabody Awards Collection. We, of course, have masters and viewing copies of them. These extra tapes take up too much room with our limited space. The charge for outside destruction in something we did not want to pay for and was also not something the Peabody Awards office could not pay for. Having a degausser (instant tape eraser) is not something we would consider having in our department given the nature of the collection. So the only viable solution was on site physical destruction.What was the nominee asked to do that fell outside of his/her job description?
Mike was asked to don goggles, gloves, and ear plugs and cut the VHS tape and then crush the outer container. We have found it is necessary to go to this extreme measure because people will remove cassettes from dumpsters and try to re-use them. It is also necessary to destroy the item completely because the material is copyrighted.How did the nominee overcome/complete the task?
With short stretches of planned destruction time. Also, by knowing that the Libraries garbage bin is emptied three times a week and planning with that in mind.How bad was the situation/task?
Loud noise, plastic bits flying, a great way to let off some steam.What else do you think the ASSET Awards Committee should know about your nominee?
Mike has been with the libraries since he was a student. He has been with the Media Department as a full-time staff member since 1999. He has done many tasks that have fallen outside his normal duties and he has never complained.