 |
|
LIBRARY MOSAICS/COLT ANNUAL AWARDS
1996 OUTSTANDING SUPPORT STAFF OF THE YEAR AWARD
Martha Parsons
Martha J. Parsons is the recipient of the Library Mosaics/COLT 1996 Outstanding Support Staff of the Year Award for 1996. She works as a Library Information Technician III at the Washington State Energy Office Library in Olympia, Washington.
The award honors a support staff for outstanding achievement and service to the field of Librarianship. Martha Parsons is recognized for her contribution to the development of the Library Support Staff Resource Center on the World Wide Web and for involvement in her state library association and in national activities.
Martha is the co-creator of an innovative support staff resource, the Library Support Staff Resource Center web site ( http://www.lib.rochester.edu/ssp/ ). This tool provides valuable information to library support staff around the world, allowing them to communicate, associate, and advance in their careers.
Her co-creator of this project, Walter Nickeson, of the University of Rochester Libraries, nominated her for this honor. In his nomination letter he provided a brief history of how the project got started and how Martha's energy and dedication helped bring the resource to fruition. Nickeson noted that Martha and he had independently conceived of the idea of a web site for library paraprofessionals. Shortly after they had begun working on their separate versions, Tinker Massey, from Florida brought Nickeson and Parsons together. According to Nickeson, "Our outlines were very similar, and with typical modesty, Martha was ready to let me go ahead alone; but her plan was much more detailed and advanced than mine, and I was able to persuade her to collaborate, to the great benefit of myself and everyone else. Martha's structure continues, with very little change, to the present." Nickeson credits Martha with not only the usefulness of the content, but with the esthetic appeal of the page.
Ms. Parsons, in addition to this valuable contribution to the profession, is also active in her state organization WALE (Washington Association of Library Employees), and is the chair of the 1996 convention. She is also a scheduled speaker for the 1996 COLT conference.
By helping create the Library Support Staff Resource Center and becoming involved in associations, Martha Parsons is recognized for her efforts in helping shape the destiny of all library support staff. We salute Martha Parsons, a truly outstanding colleague.
Martha Parsons will be featured in the March/April 1996 issue of Library Mosaics and will be recognized during COLT's Banquet, held in conjunction with the 1996 COLT Annual Conference. She will receive a cash prize and a plaque describing the achievement for which he was selected.
Dr. Willie Hardin
The Library Mosaics/COLT 1996 Outstanding Supporter of Support Staff is Dr. Willie Hardin, Director/Dean of the Torryson Library at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas.
Dr. Hardin is recognized for his efforts to promote the development of the Arkansas Library Paraprofessional Organization and his continuing support of library support staff and their concerns.
Because of Dr. Hardin's support of the Arkansas Library Paraprofessional Association networking and continuing education programs are now available to all Arkansas library staff. Letters of support note his donations of time, talent and money to support library paraprofessional activities. He has hosted workshops and spoken at conferences in behalf of library support staff and supported inclusion of paraprofessionals on committees and the Arkansas Library Association Executive Board.
In presenting Dr. Willie Hardin with the Outstanding Supporter of Support Staff Award we recognize his efforts to go beyond his job description, to extend his heart and soul on behalf of support staff of Arkansas, are truly noteworthy. We are proud to consider him as a part of our mosaic of library friends and colleagues.
Dr. Hardin will be featured in the March/April 1996 issue of Library Mosaics and will be recognized during COLT's Banquet, held in conjunction with the 1996 COLT Annual Conference. He will receive a cash prize and a plaque describing the achievement for which he was selected.
COLT Home Page
Beginning of
this document
LM/COLT Awards Page
Copyright 2000, Council on Library/Media Technicians, Inc.