NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR - STAFF
Awarded to a Libraries' classified staff member who has exhibited:
- Exceptional job performance;
- Strong work ethic;
- Commitment to service;
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills;
- Dedicated engagement in training for the position and a commitment to professional development;
- Successful initiation of working relationships, and
- Demonstration of solid potential for future service to the Libraries.
Libraries' classified staff members who were hired between December 1, 2008 and November 30, 2009 are eligible for this award.
NOMINEES:
Susan Clay
Although she's only been with us for a short time it's hard to imagine the Map Library without Susan Clay. Undaunted by neither unfamiliar formats nor our still-substantial cataloging backlog upon her arrival, Susan enthusiastically dove right in, very quickly becoming familiar with the collection and the Map Library as a whole. Drawing on her extensive background in paper preservation, she immediately began to systematically repair and encapsulate brittle and damaged maps, ensuring that these items will continue to be available to our users. Over the years the Map Library has accumulated a significant number of maps from all over the world to be added to the collection. Within a few months of her arrival Susan initiated a much-needed project to sort and identify these maps as well as weed duplicates and process maps already cataloged. From her first day on the job Susan demonstrated a keen interest in map cataloging, a specialty that scares off even the most experienced catalogers, and she has worked very hard to master its intricacies and oddities, much to the benefit of the Map Library and its users.
Aside from her outstanding work ethic, Susan is simply a joy to have around. Reliable, dependable and always up for any challenge, Susan is a wonderful employee and colleague. Her well-developed sense of humor allows her to laugh at life- and library-related absurdities and keeps the mood in the Map Library light and upbeat. And yet she takes her job very seriously and is able to see the big picture even as she focuses on the smallest of details. As we plan and prepare for our eventual return to campus life in the Map Library, which promises to be more than a little challenging and unpredictable, Susan's calm, competent and energetic presence will ensure that we arrive on campus well-organized and with our collective sanity more or less intact. Great employees like Susan are truly rare and special people; both the Map Library and the UGA Libraries are very fortunate to have her on staff.