• Library Journal Paraprofessional of the Year 
• COLT/Library Mosaic - Outstanding Support Staffer and Supporter of Support Staff

2003 winners

Third annual award to honor libraries' essential non-MLS workers 
Library Journal will honor one library worker with the third annual
Paraprofessional of the Year Award in its March 1 issue. The award
recognizes the essential role of paraprofessionals, now the largest
constituency of library workers, in providing excellent library service
and places emphasis on the efforts of the winner to further the role of
paraprofessionals in the library profession. The editors see this honor
as equal in importance to LJ's annual Librarian of the Year Award, which
debuted in 1989 and recognizes those who hold the MLS. 
Deadline for nominations is the beginning of January of each year.
Nominating criteria 
The criteria for candidates for LJ's Paraprofessional of the Year are:

Excellence in job performance, including contribution(s) enabling the
library to serve its constituents and/or its community (whether town,
college/university, school, or corporation) better; 
The encouragement of reading and the use of library resources; 
A commitment to free access to information for all; 
Having made efforts to build support groups, networks, and
organizations to promote new career paths, excellence in library work,
better pay, improved communication in libraries, and the breaking down
of barriers between support staff and the MLS librarians with whom they
work. 
Submissions 
Nominating letters should name the candidate and describe in 500 words
or fewer why the nominee deserves the award. Supporting letters and
accompanying material will be considered, but the nominating letter
itself will be of prime importance. 
Nominations may be e-mailed to fialkoff@lj.cahners.com 
or sent to: 
Francine Fialkoff 
Library Journal 
245 W. 17th St. 
New York, NY 10011 
 

Library Mosaics/COLT Annual Awards

Annually Library Mosaics and the Council on Library/Media Technicians
(COLT) present awards for "Outstanding Support Staff" and "Outstanding
Supporter of Support Staff." These awards are given to individuals whohave 
been outstanding in their service to library support staff. Recipientsare 
recognized at the annual COLT Conference.
Each is presented with a $100
prize and a plaque noting their special achievement. 
They are also the focus of a cover and feature article in Library Mosaics. 
The deadline for nominations is
December 31 of each year. 
For additional information about
the awards contact
Library Mosaics, P.O. Box 5171, Culver City, CA 90231.

Nomination criteria and information about past recipients are on theCOLT 
home page at http://library.ucr.edu/COLT/awards.html

CAROLYN TATE
WINNER OF THE 2004 OUTSTANDING SUPPORT STAFF AWARD
Excerpts quoted from COLT's website * read full information at colt.ucr.edu

The winner of Library Mosaics™ and the Council on Library/Media Technician's 2004 award for Outstanding Support Staff is CAROLYN TATE, recently retired acquisition assistant at the Boatwright Library, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia.  The award is presented annually for noteworthy service by a library support staff member.

Ms. Tate has made significant contributions to the continuing growth and development of library support staff around the country through active involvement on both the local and national levels.  She represented paraprofessionals on the University of Richmond's Staff Association Council and served as the organizations first chair. 

She was active in the formative years of the Virginia Library Association Paraprofessional Forum (VLAPF), serving as chair and board member.  She was also elected as the Virginia Library Association State Representative to the Southeastern Library Association (SELA).  It was during this time, in conjunction with colleagues, she assisted with the development of a proposal for a paraprofessional round table within the Southeastern Library Association.  Carolyn served as its first Round Table chair.

KENT SLADE
WINNER OF THE 2004 SUPPORTER OF SUPPORT STAFF AWARD

The winner of Library Mosaics™ and the Council on Library/Media Technicians™ 2004 award for Outstanding Supporter of Support Staff is KENT SLADE, Electronic Services Librarian at the Logan Library, Logan Utah. The award is presented annually for outstanding service to library support staff.

Mr. Slade was selected for his dedicated work on behalf of support staff.  Since early in his career, his interest in library work, and in the advancement of library workers, has been evidenced by his consistent and continued involvement in a wide range of organizations serving both librarians and support staff.  

Winners for 2003!

2003 Library Mosaic / COLTOutstanding Support Staff  & Supporter of Support Staff Person(s) of the Year 2003
Congratulations and Best Wishes for continued Success to:
Sylvia Skene & Joe McKenzie

Excerpts quoted from the COLT website:

Sylvia Skene
The recipient of Library Mosaics' and the Council on Library/Media
Technician's 2003 award for Outstanding Support Staff is Sylvia Skene, a
library technician at the Advanced Education Media Acquisitions Centre,
Langara College, Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

....She helped to spearhead
the revitalization and reorganizati on of the moribund Library Technicians'
and Assistants' Interest Group (LTAIG) of the
British Columbia Library Association.

.....Ms. Skene is currently an editor and reviewer for ASSOCIATES:
The Electronic Library Support Staff Journal. She is also a contributor and
regular columnist of "Only Provoke" for Library Mosaics, the magazine for
support staff. ; Sylvia has been an elected support staff representative on
the Langara College Board.

Joe McKenzie
The winner of Library Mosaics' and the Council on Library/Media Technician's
2003 award for Outstanding Supporter of Support Staff is Joe McKenzie,
director, Salina Public Library, Salina, Kansas.

.....When Mr. McKenzie found that support staff did not feel they had much
opportunity to share and learn about their day to day work, he began a
project called SMART (Staff Meetings and Road Trips) and contacted library
directors within the region and devised a schedule where staff members
travel to other libraries to meet with members of their same departments.
This has been a great benefit to both staff and librarians across the region
as well as within the library.

Read complete Award Announcements at:http://colt.ucr.edu/awards03.html

*Read information about the year 2002 COLT/Library Mosiac winners

These awards have been presented since 1995.  Past recipients include:

Support Staff Award

2001 - Rita Gibson
State Law Library of Montana, Helena, Montana

2000 - Paulette Feld
Forrest R. Polk Library, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

1999 - Meralyn Meadows
Stanly County Public Library, Albemarle, North Carolina.

1998 - Linda J. Owen
University of California, Riverside, California

1997 - Dorothy Morgan
Liverpool Public Library (New York)

1996 - Martha Parsons
Washington State Energy Office, Olympia, Washington

1995 - Ruth Tolbert
Central Indiana Area Library Services Authority, Indianapolis, Indiana
 

Supporter of Support Staff Award

2001 - Sue Mahmoodi
Minnesota Department of Children Family and Learning, Library Development
and Services

2000 - Linda Slusar
College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Illinois

1999 - Edward T. Gillen
New York State Education Department, Albany, New York

1998 - Annamarie Erickson
Chicago Library System, Chicago, Illinois

1997 - Dale Montgomery
University of Wisconsin -La Crosse, WI.

Charlie Fox posted this to Libsup-L on March 8, 2001
Outstanding Support Staff  & Outstanding "Supporter" of Support Staff 
Award Winners for 2001

RITA GIBSON
WINNER OF THE 2001 OUTSTANDING SUPPORT STAFF AWARD

The winner of Library Mosaics' and the Council on Library/Media Technicians'
2001 award for Outstanding Support Staff is Rita Gibson, 
access servicestechnician (circulation supervisor) at the State Law Library of Montana, 
Helena, Montana.
In addition to her work with the State Law Library,
Gibson has worked in both technical and public services 
divisions of eight different academic, special and public libraries in Montana andTexas.

Ms. Gibson is active in her state library association and is the co-founder
of the Montana Library Association's paraprofessional interest group,
the Montana Library Paraprofessionals.
She is the current chairperson of the Helena chapter of the Montana Library Paraprofessionals and
the Montana Library Paraprofessionals of the Montana Library Association.
Gibson has also been active in organizing workshops 
panel discussions,and in 1998 served as paraprofessional representative at the 
MontanaLibrary Education Summit, called by the state librarian.

As well as chairing the Montana Library Paraprofessionals, she is currently 
developing a mentoring proposal for the Montana Library Association,
investigating ways to provide distance education 
and continuing education opportunities for Montana's rural library support staff, 
and is researching and proposing a 
"Paraprofessional of the Year" award for the MontanaLibrary Association.

Nationally, Ms. Gibson has compiled three bibliographies on library supportstaff issues 
which she continues to update and expand, and which can be found on the COLT home page.

For her efforts in promoting and organizing support staff, 
she has been presented with the 2001 Support Staff Award.

Rita Gibson will be featured in the May/June issue of Library Mosaics and 
will be recognized at the annual banquet of the 
Council on Library/MediaTechnicians conference, 
San Francisco, California, June 13, 2001. 
She will also receive a cash prize and a plaque describing her achievements.

Congratulations, Rita!

Charlie Fox, Editor
Library Mosaics

To send Rita a Congratulations!! via Email - 
Why not send her a Card from a Site
such as BlueMountain
Or Hallmark

rkgibson@hotmail.com 

The winner of Library Mosaics' and the Council on Library/Media Technicians'2001
award for Outstanding Supporter of Support Staff is 
Sue Mahmoodi,
continuing education and library research specialist for the 
Minnesota State library agency, Library Development and Services.

Ms. Mahmoodi was selected for her dedication and tireless efforts in
the development of continuing education opportunities for 
library support staff throughout the state of Minnesota.

After beginning her career as a paraprofessional, Mahmoodi went on to 
obtain a Ph.D in library science. 
For over 30 years she has devoted herself to library work and 
to the advancement of library paraprofessionals.

Ms. Mahmoodi has been instrumental in developing and providing successful
continuing education efforts such as Branch Out, Soaring to Excellence
(assuring available sites throughout the state and training the local presenters)
and Minnesota Voluntary Certification. 

Additionally, she was successful in getting two other statewide programs off the ground:
Minnesota Opportunities for Reference Excellence (MORE)   (*See related links)
and 
Minnesota Opportunities for Technical Services Excellence (MOTSE). 
Ms. Mahmoodi has provided education for public library trustees around
the state and has worked with other continuing education specialists
at the state agency level from other states as well.
 
 

Library Resources & Technical Services Volume 38, Number 2; April 1994 Minnesota Opportunities for Technical Services Excellence (MOTSE): An Innovative CE Progrm for Technical Services Staff   by Susanne Nevin..............................................pg.195 Abstract: This is a report on an innovative program to improve technical services throughout the state of Minnesota. The program is unique in that it provides for regular workshop sessions taught by teams of trainers who have available to them well-developed manuals for trainers and students, complete with teaching materials, transparencies, handouts, exercises, and self-assessment tools. The background, purpose and goals, and first successes of the program are described.

 

For her efforts in supporting and encouraging support staff, she has
been presented with the 
2001 Outstanding Supporter of Support Staff award.

Sue Mahmoodi will be featured in the May/June issue of 
Library Mosaics and will be recognized
at the annual banquet of the council on
Library/MediaTechnicians, San Francisco, California, June 13, 2001. 
She will alsoreceive a cash prize and a plaque describing her achievements.

Our heartiest congratulations, Sue!

Charlie Fox, Editor
Library Mosaics

Other Minnesota Links of Interest
SSPIN - Support Staff & Paraprofessional Interest SectioN

MLA LinkUp - Newsletter

General Staff Training Resources

Back To>>>> LibrarySupportStaff.com Home Page
To Contact, Me ~ Mary Niederlander
via e-mail, write to: Mary@Link2Mary.com

Quotation for the day:
If you're too busy to help
those around you succeed,
You're too busy.
Bob Moawad