Trio of students selected for KU Libraries Rubinstein/Mason Award
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas Libraries have awarded the 2025 Rubinstein/Mason Award to three students who have made significant contributions to the libraries as student employees and leaders.
Margaret Baechle, Amanda Mills and Sarah Thompson will each receive a $1,000 scholarship to pursue graduate study in librarianship and archival studies in honor of the late Joseph Rubinstein and the late Alexandra Mason, who contributed many years of principled service as KU librarians.
"It is such a pleasure for those of us who serve on the Rubinstein/Mason committee to see the amazing things that KU Libraries student assistants have accomplished,” said Elspeth Healey, Special Collections Curator at Spencer Research Library. “It is equally inspiring to read of their career aspirations and their dedication to improving communities through the resources and services libraries provide."
Baechle, from St. Louis, graduated from KU in May with a degree in English and will enter the master’s program for library and information science at the University of Missouri in the fall. Baechle has worked for KU Libraries since August 2022, as a public services student assistant in Watson Library and as a student supervisor for the past year.
In addition to these positions, Baechle was a member of the KU Libraries Student Ambassador Program, serving as president for the past two years. She also served on the KU Reads common book advisory board and as a member of the KU Libraries Student Curator Program.
Baechle said her work with KU Libraries Student Advisory Program emphasized libraries as places where all patrons feel welcomed and supported, and this is a value she intends to carry with her into her academic and professional career.
“The relationships I have built with library staff and fellow student workers at Watson Library are relationships that will last me a lifetime,” Baechle said. “Everyone in the building has a deep caring and understanding for each other and the work they do, which makes it a very special place to work.”
Mills, from Shawnee, plans to study library science at Emporia State University. She graduated from KU in May with a degree in multimedia journalism and is “passionate about information access, preservation of information, and the library's role in keeping the public informed.”
Mills worked at Spencer Research Library as a public services student assistant.
“I loved my time working at the Spencer Research Library,” Mills said. “It was a very positive environment for learning, and it was apparent that all of the staff really cared about the patrons getting the information that they were seeking. My favorite part of working there was probably just getting to see all of the materials and resources we offered and how it was all free to the public.”
Thompson, from Norwich, has worked as a cataloging assistant and credits the experience and cataloging department faculty and staff as fostering an environment that has encouraged and prepared her for a future career in librarianship. She earned a degree in English from KU in May and plans to study library science at Emporia State University.
“Working for KU Libraries has solidified my passion for a career in librarianship and has helped me learn more about what it would look like when I eventually have my MLIS degree,” Thompson said. “Working in the library profession is as important as ever right now, and I can't wait to work towards making an impact on the community I serve.”
The Rubinstein/Mason award is made possible by private funds and managed by KU Endowment. Rubinstein was the first head of KU Libraries' Department of Special Collections, and Mason was a Distinguished Librarian at KU from 1957 until she retired in 1999.