Leading the Way

On December 18, University Libraries paid tribute to three of its own by awarding the Celebrating Excellence: The Priscilla Neill Library Leadership Award. Established in 2005 through a gift from Priscilla Neill, former Assistant Dean for Human Resources, the purpose of the Celebrating Excellence award is “to encourage, recognize, and reward exceptional leadership that advances the mission of University Libraries.” The honorees for 2007 were:

(left to right) Elna Saxton, Carolyn Schwier, Debbie Tenofsky, and Victoria A. Montavon

• Elna Saxton, Head of Technical Services, was awarded The Most Outstanding Leadership Award in recognition of the various initiatives she has championed that improve productivity throughout University Libraries. Among these efforts are: organizing the production of shelf-ready books, identifying and canceling print versions of electronic journals available through the Electronic Journal Center, and chairing the Record Load Task Force, which facilitated the loading of over 300,000 electronic records into the Library Catalog. Elna was said to have shown “great courage and fortitude” in chairing the Long Missing, Long Overdue Task Force, which will result in even more efficiencies for University Libraries.

• Carolyn Schwier, Senior Library Associate Specialist, was awarded The Outstanding Leadership Award in recognition of her “capacity for logical thinking and problem-solving,” which regularly contributes to the efficiency and effectiveness of the various meetings, committees, and task forces in which she participates. Carolyn’s job knowledge, experience, and expertise have made her a trusted resource for her department and the entire technical services area.

• Debbie Tenofsky, Head of the Reference and Instructional Services Department, was awarded The Outstanding Leadership Award for the numerous contributions she makes to University Libraries, including chairing the MetaSearch Task Force where she led the effort to investigate and implement a new online search tool; playing a key role in the collaborative effort to create UCit@Langsam, the new 24/7 computer and study space; and for leading University Libraries’ expansive Summer Orientation program, which welcomes over 3,500 new students to the university and the library. As one nominator wrote, “Debbie knows how to bring out the best in people.”

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