KU Libraries to honor donors, outstanding faculty and staff
LAWRENCE — KU Libraries will recognize outstanding staff, faculty and benefactors during its annual Celebration of Excellence.
The event will be Friday, Oct. 14, at Carnegie Library in downtown Lawrence. A cocktail reception will begin at 5:30 p.m., with special remarks by Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little at 6:15 p.m. The awards presentation will follow.
Lorraine Haricombe, dean of KU Libraries, will present the awards and recognize members of the Vosper Society, which honors those who demonstrate interest in and support for KU Libraries. She will also discuss the libraries’ plans for the year ahead.
“So many people have contributed to our success at KU Libraries by giving their time, their energy, their passion and their support,” said Haricombe. “It’s a pleasure to gather for one night and recognize them.”
Those honored will include donors to KU Libraries, as well as award winners from among KU Libraries faculty and staff, including:
Ada Emmett, Gretchen and Gene A. Budig Distinguished Librarian Award. Emmett, scholarly communications program head, has served as chair of the Library Faculty and Professionals Assembly and at the University level. She recently completed a three-year term on the Faculty Senate and a one-year term on the Faculty Senate Executive Committee. In addition, she has served on numerous other committees within the library and played an integral role in the passage and implementation of KU’s open access policy.
Sarah Goodwin Thiel, Anschutz-Budig Outstanding Librarian Award. As KU digital services librarian and chair of KU Libraries Exhibits Program, Thiel is the inaugural recipient of the new award. She was selected for her leadership role in creating the Library Gallery in Watson Library, which features multimedia exhibits of KU Libraries collections with related research by KU faculty and students.
Jill Becker - Mary McCorison Rosenbloom Teaching Award. Becker’s achievements in teaching and her contributions to the libraries’ instructional activities and initiatives have been exemplary. As an instruction specialist for KU Libraries’ Instructional Services, Becker brings energy and enthusiasm in a variety of ways, but most significantly in teaching.
Ade Martinez - KU Libraries’ Support Staff Employee of the Year Award. Martinez, library assistant in cataloging, will be recognized for her dedication to accuracy, attention to detail and the value of precision in keeping statistics. She is highly innovative and outcome-oriented.
Carol Jeffries - KU Libraries’ Unclassified Professional Excellence Award. Jeffries, head of the Firm Orders, Receiving and Approval unit in the Acquisitions department, earned the award by consistently providing a high level of service and going above and beyond in everything she does. Her work significantly impacts the firm orders and approvals unit she supervises, as well as the rest of the library. Jeffries is an accomplished trainer and mentor, with a knack for recognizing people’s skills, and has an incredible adaptability and systemic view that make her an exceptional problem-solver and optimizer.
Jennifer Kirmer - Rubinstein-Mason Award. This award is given to students whose primary interest is in special collections librarianship. Kirmer has demonstrated characteristics of intellectual excellence and commitment to the standards of principled librarianship exemplified by Joseph Rubinstein and Alexandra Mason in their many years of service to scholarship.
The dean also will recognize librarians who earned tenure in the past year, as well as recipients of the KU Libraries’ Jayhawk of the Month award, which acknowledges outstanding commitment to service on the part of faculty and staff.
Carnegie Library is located on 200 W. Ninth St. RSVP to crawkrc@ku.edu or (785) 864-8961.