WINNERS OF THE THIRD QUARTER LEADERSHIP-INITIATIVE AWARDS

On Wednesday, May 16, 2001, at the Libraries Spring social held in the Special Events Room of McKeldin Library, Dean Lowry and the Awards Committee took the opportunity to present certificates to nine employees for the third quarter Leadership-Initiative Awards. Each recipient will receive a cash gift of $150.00.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR RECIPIENTS!!!

The following is an account of the initiatives and contributions of our nine winners whose efforts and commitment reflect true leadership.

Federal Depository Processing Group, Wilma Bass, Regina Halper, Patricia Longenbach, Marianne Ryan, Cheryl Schill, Stephen Spohn, Loretta Tatum, Alesia Wilson

This team is engaged in a sustained effort, begun in Fall 2000, to improve access to US depository documents. Spurred on by the need to respond to GPO inspector reports, this group has worked diligently over a long period. Their initiative involves two new concepts: loading Shipping List records and overlaying them with full bibliographic records, and creating holdings on CARL for types of materials never handled here before (e.g., book marks, posters, and folded maps), complete with barcodes and security stripping. They have also improved circulation control, reducing the amount of time it takes to charge newly received materials. This team faces many knotty issues for which there are no easy answers, and yet they persevere.

Neal Kaske, Engineering and Physical Sciences Library, Public Services Division

Neal Kaske is recognized for his contributions to the success of the Gemstone program. The Gemstone Program is an invitational four-year program for undergraduate Honors students, which fosters an interdisciplinary approach to real world problem solving. Under the guidance of faculty mentors, Gemstone student teams begin research projects as freshman which they continue to develop through their sophomore and junior years. As seniors, teams write up and present their research to panels representing government, industry, and academia. As an early champion of the Gemstone program, Neal recognized a vital role for librarians as mentors and research partners with student teams. Thanks to his own example, his pioneering efforts, and his firm belief in the value librarians can bring to this unique program, Neal has encouraged all of the Science Team librarians, as well as librarians from other teams, and departments, to become Gemstone mentors. He also devotes much of his own time to Gemstone activities and has provided library instruction classes to Gemstone students. By devoting his professional expertise to the program, and by inspiring and encouraging other librarians to do the same, he has done much to raise the Libraries' profile within the campus community.

On behalf of the Awards Committee, thank you for your participation and support of the Awards program.

Awards Committee

Julie Arnold, Gerri Foudy, Chuck Howell, Alice LaSota, Brenda Semeleer, Phyllis Waters, Lupe Fernandes