Former Members of the Committee

Julie Arnold, Science and Technology Team, EPSL

Anita Carrico, Retired. Formerly Public Services

Kuang-Yao Fan, Retired September 1998, Collection Management and Special Collections

Gerri FoudyPublic Services

Kevin Hammett, Formerly Technical Services

Chuck Howell, Broadcasting Archives

Alice LaSota, Cataloging Department

David Miles, Resigned February 1999, Information Technology

Brenda Semeleer, Catalog Management Department

Skip Warnick, Resigned. Formerly Information Technology

Phyllis Waters, Archives & Manuscripts

Julia Wisniewski, Technical Services Division

Charles Wright, Interlibrary Loan Office

1.0 Background

In November 1997, in response to the Staff Awards Team report, the Library Executive Council approved the formation of a Committee to implement and administer a Staff Awards program for the University of Maryland, College Park Libraries. The Committee proposes an Awards Program to recognize significant achievements of individual staff and teams.

The Awards Program provides the Libraries with an opportunity to recognize leadership, initiative, and outstanding performance that goes beyond "doing a good job." Employees, graduate assistants, and student employees will be rewarded for their creative and productive efforts and their contributions to enhancing the library environment.

2.0 The Awards

The Awards Committee has established the following award categories:

• Leadership-Initiative Award (LIA) - awarded quarterly to an individual or team.
  
• Outstanding Employee Award - awarded annually to two individual employees, one from Associate Staff and one from Classified Staff.
  
• Outstanding Graduate Assistant - awarded annually to a Graduate Assistant.
  
• Outstanding Student Employee Award - awarded annually to a student employee. Up to three awards may be given.
  

The Service Award Program which recognizes employees' years of service with the Libraries and/our the University is not included in this proposal. It is assumed that this program will continue to be administered by the Library Personnel Office.

3.0 Committee Roles and Responsibilities

The Dean and the Library Executive Council are the sponsors of the Staff Awards Program. The Staff Awards Committee will administer the nomination and selection process for each of the four award categories.

This Committee is made up of representatives from the five divisions of the Libraries. 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 nominaitons 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.

3.1 Committee Eligibility and Service

Membership is composed of both Associate and Classified Staff. Committee members must have worked in the Libraries for at least three years. The LEC will appoint new members and select the Chair. The first Awards Committee will serve until May 31, 2000. Thereafter each new Committee will serve two year terms beginning on June 1.

Committee members are not eligible to receive individual awards during their tenure. Committee members participating in a group that has been nominated for a team award will not participate in discusssion and decision for that particular award in order to avoid a conflict of interest.

First Staff Awards Committee:

Anita Carrico, Public Services

Kuang-Yao, Collection Management and Special Collections

Kevin Hammett, Technical Services

Alice LaSota, Technical Services

Charles Wright, Public Services

Lupe Fernandes, Chair, Planning and Administrative Services

4.0 Nomination Guidelines

Each award category will have a specific nomination form with the name of the award, criteria and deadline for submission. All nominations must be submitted in writing and signed.

Nomination forms will be available from Committee members as well as from the Library Personnel Office. Nominations will be forwarded in confidence to the Staff Awards Committee Chair.

Nominations may be submitted by current library staff, graduate assistants, or student assistants.

Members of the LEC and the current Awards Committee are not eligible to participate in the nomination process.

The Awards Committee will determine the deadlines for nominations.

With the exception of the LIA, all awards will be made on an annual basis. The Leadership-Initiative awards will be given on a quarterly basis. The nonimations for the LIA will require an end-of-quarter deadline (March, June, September, December) with the recipients being announced the following month. New nominations for the LIA will be required for each quarter.

5.0 Selection Criteria

Leadership-Initiative Award (LIA)

• Awarded quarterly to an individual staff or team.
• Eligibility: Open to all library staff; permanent, contractual, temporary (full-time and part-time). Employed at least one year with the Libraries.
• Nominees: Individual staff, committee or team.
• Criteria: Outstanding leadership or initiative taken by this nominee within the past six months that demonstrated the following:
  • Creative and innovative ideas to accomplish a special project; to resolve/improve a workflow problem; to implement a method that would improve the department/unit output or quality of work
  • provide details about the project and examples of leadership
  • explain how individuals or groups collaborated to achieve the final result(s).
  • Individual or group performances must have exceeded job requirements. It may be a single action or series of actions that resulted in a highly desirable benefit(s) to the Libraries’ mission.
  • Impact on internal and/or external customers.
  • Created a positive environment for staff and customers.
  • Personal qualities that distinguish the nominee(s)
  examples should demonstrate positive rapport with all levels of staff, both within and outside the Libraries, a self-starter, resourceful, exemplary attitude, integrity or other commendable traits.

Outstanding Employee Award

• Awarded annually to two individual employees, one from Associate Staff and one from Classified Staff.
• Eligibility: Open to all library staff; permanent, contractual, temporary, (full-time and part time). Employed at least one year with the Libraries.
• Nominees: Individual staff, including recipients of the Leadership-Initiative Award from the past year.
• Criteria: Significant contributions to productivity, innovations, efficiency, dedication, and commitment to the goals of the nominee's unit/department, the Libraries, and/or the University during the previous year. Personal qualities that demonstrate positive rapport with all levels of staff, exemplary attitude, initiative, integrity, or other commendable traits. Other relevant criteria that best describe the nominee's qualifications for this award.

Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award

• Awarded annually to a Graduate Assistant
• Eligibility; Open to Graduate Assistants who are in their second year of the Assistantship program.
• Nominees: Graduate Assistants with the UM Libraries.
• Criteria: Performance and contributions to productivity, innovations, efficiency, dedication and commitment to the goals of the nominee's unit/department, the Libraries and/or the University during the previous year. Personal qualities that demonstrate positive rapport with all levels of staff, exemplary attitude, initiative, integrity, or other commendable traits. Other relevant criteria that best describe the nominee's qualifications for this award.

Outstanding Student Employee Award

• Awarded annually to an individual student employee. Up to three awards may be given.
• Eligibility: Open to student employees who have completed 360 hours of employment within the Libraries.
• Nominees: Student employees, Undergraduate and Graduate.
• Criteria: Performance and contributions to productivity, innovation, efficiency, dedication and commitment to the goals of the nominee's unit/department, the Libraries and/or the University during the previous year. Personal qualities that demonstrate positive rapport with all levels of staff, exemplary attitude, initiative, integrity, or other commendable traits. Other relevant criteria that best describe the nominee's qualifications for this award.

6.0 Presentation of Awards

The Annual Awards program will be held in May of each year. All annual awards will be presented, and all nominees for those awards will be acknowledged, by the Dean. The Leadership-Initiative awards will be given quarterly and acknowledged by the Dean at the annual program.

7.0 Compensation for Awards

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

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

1. The nomination process must be well defined and publicized with criteria formalized. All employees who meet the criteria must be considered equally.
2. A committee selects the recipient(s).
3. The amount of an individual's awards should not exceed $1,000.
4. Blanket awards to all employees in a group cannot be made. This would not prohibit a team award. The intent of this policy is to prohibit award funds from being used as form of merit pay.
5. A public ceremony must be held to present the award(s).
6. The Labor and Assistance sub-code must be used.
7. 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 on to the appropriate Vice President's Office for review and approval. The documents must be sent to Dale Anderson, Director of Personnel Services.

Cash Awards for each Category:

Leadership-Initiative Award - Cash Award of $150.00

Outstanding Employee Award - Cash Award of $750.00

Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award - Cash Award of $200.00

Outstanding Student Employee Award - Cash Award of $150.00

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