Annual UW Awards Honor Excellence Across UW Libraries

UW Libraries’ 300+ employees represent a vital team across all UW campuses that together, provide essential services, programs and resources that benefit our university community and beyond. Their collective contributions bring forth new ideas, change and improvements that directly contribute to UW excellence.  Each year, UW honors outstanding achievement through the Awards of Excellence program. In 2023 we are excited to recognize the amazing Librarians and staff in each category. 

Distinguished Librarian Award:

Jackie Belanger – Director, Libraries Assessment and Planning

The award recognizes excellence in librarianship, especially as it benefits the academic community through innovative approaches to professional practice, research, and/or teaching and learning. Additional factors include creativity, leadership, service, scholarship, and demonstration of the University of Washington values of integrity, diversity, excellence, collaboration, innovation and respect.

Starting in her position as Research & Instruction/Arts & Humanities Librarian at UW Bothell and Cascadia College Library and throughout her 11-year involvement in library assessment, Jackie has been essential to the library’s cultural shift towards centering library users in our discussions, policies, and practices. Jackie has played key roles in the collaborative and evidence-based development of library initiatives. Currently, Jackie directs the University of Washington tri-campus Libraries assessment and strategy program, developing goals, policies, procedures, and best practices that evolved from a user-centered approach to her more recent and groundbreaking work in critical library assessment. Within the UW Libraries, Jackie leads many initiatives, but perhaps her broadest reach and impact is made through her role leadership of the strategic planning process. Jackie’s generosity and support of others, through formal and informal mentorship, teaching future librarians, and her active role in equity, diversity, and inclusion discussions within the Libraries make her a valued colleague.  Jackie’s work exemplifies this award through wide-ranging, positive, sustained, and long-lasting impact. 

Additional 2023 Distinguished Librarian Award nominees:

• Caitlin Maloy, Nursing and Research Services Librarian, Health Sciences Library Caitlin exemplifies her nomination through her creativity in teaching, research and collegiality. Her work with the School of Nursing faculty, staff and students shows her compassion and in-depth subject knowledge. Caitlin is a truly delightful colleague both within the libraries and beyond! Learn more about Caitlin’s work.
• Je Salvador, Computer Science / Research and Instruction Librarian, UW Bothell / Cascadia College Library Je served as the President-Elect and President of the Association of Librarians of the University of Washington (ALUW). They also were an integral member of the UWB/CC Library Anti-Racist Audit Team that supported and facilitated the audit preparation, process, and post-work with the library staff. Nationally, Je has established a solid record of service and leadership through their involvement with ACRL’s EDI Committee, which they also currently chair. Learn more about Je’s work.
• Sandra Kroupa, Book Arts and Rare Books Curator, Distinctive and Special Collections –  will embark on her 55th year with UW Libraries in June. A previous recipient of the UW’s Distinguished Staff Award, Sandra’s extensive knowledge and expertise in her field is a treasure, especially for those students who have the pleasure of working with her in the classroom, as illustrated in this most recent 2023 feature on her work with UW’s Textual Studies Program. Learn more about Sandra’s work.

Learn more about the significant contributions of all 2023 nominees: Read full profiles.

Distinguished Staff Award

UW Libraries had a number of staff nominated for both individual and team honors that exemplify excellence across four categories: Collaboration, Innovation Impact, Career Achievement and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

The 2023 nominees:

The following staff acknowledgements represent excerpts and summaries of quotes from nominating parties and/or supervisors.

Innovation

• Individual category:  Denise Hattwig, Head, of, Digital, Scholarship;  UW, Bothell, and, Cascadia, College, Library. Denise’s work both on the Washington Prison History Project and others across campus is indeed that of great distinction: innovative and collaborative, rigorous and generative, equitable and accessible.
• Team category: Alan Michelson, Head, Built Environments Library, University Libraries. Alan provided essential analytical expertise to support the development of the College of Built Environments (CBE) Faculty Publications Portal, helping to identify academic best practices and tools to improve systems and automation for capturing faculty publications.

Impact

• Individual category: Tan Nguyen, Library Specialist I, Central Circulation & Library Account Services. Tan took on a lot of responsibility and extra work to ensure our department continued to run smoothly during a challenging time when we were particularly understaffed. He devised and implemented creative solutions to workflow problems and other areas for improvement, turning this challenge into an opportunity to streamline processes and hone his own skills. Throughout this time, Tan helped maintain a high level of service for the university community. Our whole team felt the impact of his contributions that we will remember for a very long time.
• Individual category: Marcia Monroe, Access Services Supervisor, UW Tacoma Library: Access Services Marcia’s impact is widely felt at UW Tacoma. She provides outstanding service, working hard to ensure that every person that enters the UWT Library feels welcome and supported.

Career Achievement: Individual category: Marcia Monroe, Access Services Supervisor, UW Tacoma Library: Access Services Marcia has been an essential part of the UWT Library since the Tacoma campus was brand new. She has been integral to the Library getting the highest ranking from students for service quality year after year. She is well-known and respected across campus for her many contributions.

Collaboration: Individual category: Marissa Rydzewski, Library Specialist I – Supervisor, LAW: Law Library – Circulation. Every time Marissa has been offered an opportunity to learn new skills or take on new projects, she has said yes. She has taken on the implementation of the ideas generated by users, employees, and administrators. Marissa’s contributions have impacted the UW Law community at every level.

Congratulations to all of the award nominees. The awards ceremony is held in June. Please join us in celebrating all of their important work by sharing this story!

###

UW Libraries are continually working to improve accessibility for our users. In honor of Global Accessibility Awareness Day coming up on May 18th, we are happy to share some exciting news!  Over the past few years, one of our priority goals has been to outfit at least 10% of the computer workstations at every UW Seattle library branch with height adjustable tables.  We are pleased to announce that we have reached that goal — over 70 of our computer workstations now have electronically-controlled height adjustable desks! 

Adjustable desks are necessary to provide all users with access to workstations. Previous desks were at a fixed height to match our existing seating, but this lack of flexibility presented some issues. For example, they could be the wrong height for library visitors using wheelchairs. Now, with the electronic controls, users can adjust their workspaces with ease.

Starting in 2019, the UW Libraries began to address this deficit. Desks which were previously at a fixed height, or which required manual mechanical adjustment (which is harder to use), were updated. Over each of the last three years, we applied for and were awarded funding from the Student Technology Fee committee which supports many projects dedicated to improving the accessibility of technology across campus. While it would also be beneficial to have study tables that can be height adjustable, we have focused on the computer desks because the grant required a project that supports student technology needs.

ADA guidelines state that at least 10% of computer workstations should be accessible. With the completion of this project, several of our branch libraries such as Art, Drama, Foster and Music have 100% accessible desks for student workstations, and Math has 50%.

Enhancing equitable environments for teaching, learning and research is one of the UW Libraries main strategic priorities. Through this work, we have prioritized improving access to library spaces and resources by adding more accessible furniture and other tools that support our values.A full list of our accessible height workstations can be found on the Libraries Accessibility page. If you have any questions about the height adjustable desks or would like to suggest potential areas of improvement related to Libraries’ accessibility, please contact us at [email protected].

###

I appreciate the UW Libraries’ strong, ongoing commitment to working with students to grow and apply our knowledge. From books, documents, and media to the librarians’ general information, the UW Libraries allows students to flourish academically.

During one of my favorite undergraduate courses, Photo/Media 340 (WI 2020), students had the opportunity to exhibit our artwork at the Odegaard Undergraduate Library. Emily Ruder and the amazing crew at Odegaard welcomed all our creative environmental art pieces. My work, Bruce Lee Ascending (飛小龍), created to honor our famous alumni, was displayed on the main Odegaard staircase.

In 2022, after others requested making my exhibit permanent, Dean Simon Neame and the UW Libraries staff made it their responsibility to facilitate the installation. From managing installation logistics, to walking me through administrative protocol and paperwork, the UW Libraries went above and beyond to support the effort.

This is but one example of how the UW Libraries inspires and facilitates dynamic growth and change by providing quality services for students developing their skills in any field.

On this Husky Giving Day, I encourage you to join me in supporting UW Libraries to help provide students with the resources they need to achieve their full potential. Your generosity will enable UW Libraries to continue to provide the vital services and resources that have a profound impact on students like myself.

Thank you, UW Libraries!

Han Eckelberg

Graduate student, Master of Communication in Communities & Networks, member of UW Communication Leadership Program