Nominee: Jan Hudson

Department: Human Resources

Testimonial: Jan took on a big job when she took over Human Resources here. She had so very much to do during a time of immense change and growth- so many people have been upset by
the changes and conflicts are ever-present, but I have been totally impressed by the amount of positivity and professionalism Jan brings to the libraries even during crisis. As a new faculty member I often need guidance in procedures (and sometimes advice on how to deal with difficult situations) and she is always there to help with an encouraging word. I appreciated the way she guided me through the UGALibs annual review process, making it easy to understand the procedure. I also appreciate that she has gone out of her way to
make everyone feel welcome to approach her, and works as a mentor to the library community by holding job search workshops for new graduates. She seems to really get the big picture for UGALibs, and I really feel that as a Human Resource professional she has my back
as a librarian. This makes her an incredible ASSET who really deserves recognition and a big fat thank you from all of us. 

 

Nominee: Gilbert Head

Department: Hargrett Library

Testimonial: It is my pleasure to nominate Gilbert Head for the Other Duties As Assigned Award. Since moving into the Special Collections Library, Gilbert has played a major role in public service by volunteering to help at the reference desk. His amiable personality lends itself to greeting the public and makes him very approachable
to new patrons, both student and non, alike. Aside from him
knowledge gained from working in the University Archives Unit of the Hargrett Library, Gilbert’s worldly wise experience and love of all
things historic makes him the perfect candidate to perform reference service. He is always willing to help any visitor commence their “dig” to find new nuggets of information.
Moving to a new building and establishing public services there meant utilizing a new computer program to track our patrons and circulation of materials. Gilbert invested a lot of time learning the new system, asking questions, and shadowing at the front desk to make sure that he was using the program correctly. His proactive work in this area
was much appreciated and allowed him to help his colleagues, in turn.
Gilbert’s willingness to embark on this new service in the twilight of his career means a lot. His presence at the reference desk not only provides a convivial atmosphere into which patrons enter, but also his knowledge of our new system and workflows has helped us to implement our planned changes easily and effectively. 

 

Nominee: Amy Watts

Department: Reference

Testimonial: Several years ago, a few librarians looked around the reference room at the Main Library and envisioned a different space. Instead of filling the room with partially-stocked bookshelves, couldn’t they consolidate the remaining print reference collection into fewer shelves and fill the room with more light from the surrounding windows? And so they embarked on a long-term project to do just
that. Although everyone in Main Reference helped out with weeding their subject areas, Amy Watts was truly the driving force behind the three-year project. Brandishing her tape measure and numerous spreadsheets, she made lists, filled out transit slips, coordinated transfers between reference and bibliographers, and shifted, shifted, shifted. Amy also worked closely with the staff in Database Maintenance and Serials to coordinate a smooth workflow of transfers and to correct historical errors in GIL. Amy did all of this work on top
of her regular reference, instruction, and web editing duties. As of last fall, the west end of the reference room became a popular study spot. Although you might think that this project was for naught since Reference will be moving to another part of the first floor, that’s not
the case. This project that Amy spearheaded and saw through to its finish was fundamental in allowing us to see how wonderful a space
we have. The soon-to-be-former reference room will make a light-filled new study area, the reference collection is in great shape for its
move, and it’s all due to Amy’s persistence in finishing the project she began a few years ago.

 

Nominee: Dian Hartle and Jacquie Houston

Department: Science Reference

testimonial: Constant requests from patrons for a quiet place to study and use their lap tops effectively, led Diana and Jacquie to submit a proposal for a Alumni and Family Grant to create a quiet study suite on the 4th floor of the Science Library in the former InfoSouth area that had degenerated to a storage/junk room.  To their surprise they were awarded a $10,000 grant to achieve this.

After clearing out the room, they worked with Libraries Administration and Physical Plant to carpet and paint the room and a vendor to procure furniture.  It quickly became obvious that $10,000 does not
go very far!  So, they became resourceful.  Chairs were obtained from the Computer Science Department in Boyd, as they were refitting their labs.  Soft seating was obtained from Academic Enhancement.  Wanting to decorate the walls with Science themed prints, they approached Dr. Gene Wright of Scientific Illustration who graciously donated copies of illustrations done by students in his problem that
he had mounted on for cost.

Science Library is now the proud owner of a Quiet Study Suite that students rave about and is in constant use.