Current Members of the Committee:

Lupe Fernandes, Planning & Administrative Services, Chair

Joanne Archer, Collection Management and Special Collections

Richard Leigh, Technical Services Division

Gail Rumper, Art and Architecture Libraries

Holley St Germain, Information Technology Division

Nedelina Tchangalova, Engineering Library

Dun Yee-Wong, Technical Services Division, Preservation

The Awards

The Awards Committee has established the following award categories:

• Special Recognition Award ***New Award!***
• Outstanding Employee Award / Outstanding Graduate Assistant / Outstanding Student Award

Please see below for a full explanation of the criteria which will be considered for nominees for each of these awards.

Committee Roles and Responsibilities

The Library Executive Council, Charles Lowry and the five division directors, are official sponsors of the Awards program. All final committee recommendations for nominations are reviewed and approved by Dean Lowry. Program changes require LEC’s review and approval. LEC directors are not eligible to receive awards, but they may submit award nominations for others.

The Staff Awards Committee administers the nomination and selection process for each of the award categories.

This Committee is made up of representatives from the five divisions of the Libraries, as well as Graduate Assitant and Student Assistant Representatives when available. The Public Services and Technical Services divisions each have two representatives on the Committee.

The Staff Awards Committee will:

• Solicit nominations for each award category. The call for nomination will be made through e-mail and the staff newsletter, Library Matters.
• Acknowledge receipt of all nominations.
• Review and evaluate nominations and make the Awards nominations.
  These nominations will be submitted to the Dean of Libraries for action.
• Plan and coordinate the annual awards presentation and reception to be held in May and the Peer Recognition and Special Projects awards presentation at the annual Holiday Party.

Committee Eligibility and Service

Membership is composed of Non-Exempt, Exempt and Faculty Librarians. Committee members must have worked in the Libraries for at least three years. Each new Committee member will serve two year terms beginning on June 1.

Awards Committee members are eligible as nominees only for both individual and team awards while serving their term. Individual committee members may be considered nominees for a single award or as part of a group being nominated for a team or committee award. When this occurs, the particular committee member(s) will relinquish their role to avoid a conflict of interest.

Award Committee members are not eligible to participate in nominating staff, graduate assistants or student assistants while they are members of the Awards committee.

Nomination Guidelines

• Nominations must be submitted electronically, using either the online nomination form or the Awards Committee email reflector.
• ALL staff (including LEC members), graduate assistants and student assistants can nominate anyone within the Libraries.
• Nominees can be peers or supervisors. (LEC directors cannot be nominated for an award)
• ALL nominations should describe with examples the nominee’s qualifications for the award.
• In writing the nomination, provide as much information as possible. Be specific, please:
  1. Pay attention to the award criteria.
  2. Most successful award nominations are at least a few paragraphs long and provide details of the nominees performance.
• Letters of support from other people who know the nominee(s) and are familiar with their work or specific project should be submitted as part of the nomination. (Letters can be submitted separately via email to the reflector (libawardcom@umd.edu), or with the original nomination).
• The Awards Committee will determine the deadlines for nominations and announce those deadlines to library staff.
  

Selection Criteria for Specific Awards

Special Recognition Award

Eligible Nominees

• One or multiple nominees (teams or committees) on the basis of meeting one or more criteria.
• Library Staff and Librarians (permanent, contractual, and temporary); Graduate Assistants and Student Assistants. (LEC members are not eligible nominees)
• There are no time limits with respect to length of employment with the Libraries.

• Diversity initiatives and activities
• Efficiency and/or productivity
• Excellence in Customer Service (internal or external)
• Exemplary citizenship in support of the Libraries’ mission
• Exceptional collaboration and cooperation
• Innovation and creativity
• Mentoring and/or peer training outside one’s primary job responsibility
• Morale Improvement

• Project must have been completed within the past 18 months (since July 1, 2006) and reached a measurable impact at the time of nomination.
• Nomination must demonstrate how group or individual members collaborated to achieve final results.
• Group or individual performances must have exceeded job requirements.
• Positive impact on internal and/or external customers.

• More than one award may be given.

Outstanding Library Employee: Library Staff
*** Outstanding Awards are given once-a-year, in the spring ***

Eligible Nominees:

• Individual nominees ONLY.
• ALL library staff (permanent, contractual and temporary).
• There are no time limits with respect to length of employment with the Libraries.

• Demonstrates sustained leadership and performance
• Goes “above and beyond” assigned responsibilities
• Embodies UM’s Organizational Citizenship Expectations
• Contributes to the Libraries’ climate in a unique and valuable way

• Teamwork/Cooperation
• Communication
• Customer Service (internal and external)
• Innovation/Creativity
• Workflow Improvements/Efficiency
• Positive Attitude To Promote a Productive and Pleasant Workplace

• Only one award may be given

Outstanding Library Employee: Librarian
*** Outstanding Awards are given once-a-year, in the spring ***

Eligible Nominees:

• Individual nominees ONLY. LEC members are not eligible nominees
• ALL Librarians (permanent, contractual and temporary).
• There are no time limits with respect to length of employment with the Libraries.

• Demonstrates sustained leadership and performance
• Goes “above and beyond” assigned responsibilities
• Embodies UM’s Organizational Citizenship Expectations
• Contributes to the Libraries’ climate in a unique and valuable way

• Administration/Committee Work
• Teamwork/Cooperation
• Communication
• Customer Service (internal and external)
• Innovation/Creativity
• Workflow Improvements/Efficiency
• Positive Attitude to Promote a Productive and Pleasant Workplace
• Mentoring/Training
• Outreach/Marketing
• Scholarship/Research
• Supervision/Management

• Only one award may be given

Outstanding Graduate Assistant
*** Outstanding Awards are given once-a-year, in the spring ***

Eligible Nominees:

• Individual nominees ONLY.
• ALL Graduate Assistants
• There are no time limits with respect to length of employment with the Libraries.

• Exceptional contributions to work within the Libraries.
• Demonstrated exceptional leadership in managing staff and/or resources.
• Individual performance must have exceeded job requirements.
• Outstanding personal qualities:
• Positive rapport with all levels of staff, both within and outside the Libraries
• Demonstrates initiative
• Exemplary attitude
• Integrity or other commendable traits

• Only one award may be given

Outstanding Student Assistant
*** Outstanding Awards are given once-a-year, in the spring ***

Eligible Nominees:

• Individual nominees ONLY.
• ALL Student Assistants
• There are no time limits with respect to length of employment with the Libraries.

• Exceptional contributions to work within the Libraries.
• Demonstrated exceptional leadership in managing staff and/or resources.
• Individual performance must have exceeded job requirements.
• Outstanding personal qualities:
• Positive rapport with all levels of staff, both within and outside the Libraries
• Demonstrates initiative
• Exemplary attitude
• Integrity or other commendable traits

• Only one award may be given

Presentation of Awards The nomination process and presentation of awards take place twice a year:

• Fall Semester (Special Recognition Award only)
  • Call for nominations in late October with a three-week deadline.
  • Committee reviews nominations in mid-November.
  • Presentation of Awards in December at the annual winter holiday party.
• Spring Semester (All award categories).
  • Call for nominations in early April with a three-week deadline.
  • Committee reviews nominations in late April.
  • Presentation of Awards in May in conjunction with Service Awards.

Compensation for Awards

All award recipients will be honored with a cash gift and a certificate bearing the name of the award and signed by the Dean of Libraries.

Cash Awards:

• Special Recognition Award – Cash award of $150.00
• Outstanding Student Assistant Award – Cash award of $150.00
• Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award – Cash award of $200.00
• Outstanding Employee Award – Cash award of $750.00

Policy on Payment of Cash Awards

The Libraries will adhere to the following University of Maryland policy on payment of cash awards:

1. The nomination process must be well defined and publicized with criteria formalized. All employees, graduate assistants and student assistants who meet the criteria must be considered equally.
2. A committee selects the recipients.
3. A public ceremony must be held to present the awards.
4. The Labor and Assistance sub-code must be used when requesting payment.
5. The amount of an individual’s award should not exceed $1,000.
6. Evidence that the above conditions have been met must be sent along with a one-pay card(s) through the supervisor and/or unit head and then to the appropriate Vice President’s Office for review and approval. The documents must be sent to Dale Anderson, Director of University Human Resources.

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