UMD Libraries’ User Services and Resource Sharing Director Hilary Thompson awarded 2024 Distinguished Achievement in Access Services Award
Thompson was recognized for her transformative leadership, commitment to staff development, and her service to the profession beyond the university.
Hilary Thompson, UMD Libraries’ Director of User Services and Resource Sharing, has been awarded the 2024 Distinguished Achievement in Access Services Award by the Access Services Conference. Thompson has been an integral part of UMD Libraries’ access services since she first joined the Libraries as the Access Services Librarian in 2012.
“Whether she’s working locally, consortially, or nationally, Hilary brings a commitment to continuous improvement and professional development to all of her endeavors,” said Brynne Norton, UMD Libraries’ Head of Resource Sharing and Reserves, who nominated Thompson. “Within her department, her commitment to both staff recognition and staff development are key factors in the high level of morale. Hilary sets a high standard for her own work and will always meet employees where they are. She serves as an example for me and others of how to lead a high-performing unit and is actively shaping the next generation of access services leaders.”
As the Director of User Services and Resource Sharing, Thompson provides vision and leadership for front-line services and operations at McKeldin and Severn Libraries, UMD’s main library and high-density shelving facility. She leads a large team comprised of 35 staff members, 2 librarians, and numerous student employees. Among the services they provide to UMD users are circulation, course reserves, department delivery, equipment loan, interlibrary loan, late night study, and room reservations.
Thompson’s impact extends beyond the university community. Her sustained regional service to the University System of Maryland and Affiliated Institutions (USMAI), consisting of seventeen member libraries in a shared integrated library system (ILS), has culminated in her work on the transition to a new integrated library system. From selection to configuration and implementation to training, Hilary has played a key role at both the consortial and campus level in ensuring that the new system as well as the staff were ready to go live.
Within the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) she served as chair of the Big Ten InterLibrary Loan (ILL) Coordinators from 2017-2018 and was a key contributor to many program evaluations and reports including the five year UBorrow Program Review (2017) and UBorrow Visioning Report (2022) that led to the selection of a new software platform and updated resource sharing agreement for BTAA ILL. Hilary’s work in the leadership of the ILL Coordinators for the BTAA set up a path for the future. She has left her mark on the direction on which this group has continued forward.
Thompson also has been an active member of the Sharing and Transforming Access to Resources Section (STARS) of the Reference & User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association. During her term as the 2023-2024 chair, she initiated and guided a reorganization of STARS’s standing committees in order to improve their alignment with the section’s current needs, interests, and level of member engagement.
“It's such an honor, especially coming from the Access Services Conference, which I first attended back in 2012,” said Thompson. “Having recently started my first position as a librarian, the presenters and fellow participants opened my eyes to a world of possibilities for improving library services. I'm grateful I had the opportunity to grow professionally among such a supportive and dedicated community, and I aspire to give back as much as I have received.”
The Distinguished Achievement in Access Services Award recognizes an individual for outstanding achievement, contributions, and commitment to the field of Access Services. Thompson will receive the award at the 2024 Access Services Conference Reception.