EXCELLENCE IN INSTRUCTION:

This award recognizes a person or group for excellence in instructing, training, or making presentations to library users, employees, or to attendees at a professional seminar or conference. Delivery of instruction modules, systems, or services or providing training or presentations at local, regional, or national seminars, conferences, or workshops meant to instruct, inform or teach, and internal on-the-job training may also be considered. Qualities that are considered in the nominee(s) might include:

• Type, amount, and content of instruction;
• Excellent curriculum design;
• Depth of knowledge of subject area;
• Outstanding communication skills;
• Strong record and demonstrated use of new teaching techniques;
• Innovation and creativity in teaching methods;
• Exceptional teaching style and delivery;
• Utilization and application of information technology;
• Special awareness of the difference in learning styles of users;
• Use of critical thinking skills;
• Possession of sophisticated analytical skills; and
• Successful use of learning assessment techniques.

NOMINEES:

Jill Severn

Each semester, Jill Severn tirelessly searches the list of classes looking for ways that the Russell Library and the UGA Libraries can aid instructors in their teaching and enrich the experience of their students. Offering an introduction to archives is Jill' s mission so that classes can see firsthand how primary documents can enhance a field of study, whether it's history or environment science or agriculture. Her work results at least seven classes per semester learning what archives are, why they are relevant to academic work and how they can best be utilized.

Jill's knowledge of the subject areas covered by the Russell Library is quite vast and allows her to tailor each presentation to the class topic. Her presentations are always extremely captivating and after each one, many students stick around to discuss their paper topics with her and get her advice. Throughout the semester, we have several visitors stopping by the see Ms. Severn and we regularly get to see the fruits of her relationships through papers and presentations as well as updates from students past who have gone on to bigger and better places. In order to expand these relationships, Jill has advocated and successfully utilized many Web 2.0 tools to show her availability to these students, including Facebook and Twitter as well as the Russell Library blog.

Each semester when we see the chairs lined up and hear the doorbell ring repeatedly, we know that Jill is at work! Through her efforts, she has created several ongoing working relationships with different departments around campus that not only show how valuable special collections are but how important the Libraries are to the University.

Amy Watts and Diane Trap

I can not say enough about the trail that Amy and Diane blazed this year. They were the first reference librarians to take on the design and instruction of a Freshman Seminar. Last fall Amy and Diane designed a course from scratch, lead 15 freshmen through the coursework each week, and then graded their work. All the while Amy and Diane incorporated information literacy skills and library resources in each component of the course. I can not think of a more deserving pair for this year's Excellence in Instruction Award. They have begun a shift which will lead to us being more involved in teaching classes in the future.