Recognitions: Faculty, staff, and students

A graphic image of fireworks that reads "Celebrating IU Libraries' Staff Accomplishments"

At IU Libraries a community of faculty librarians, professional staff, and student employees have been collecting the greatest ideas for 200 years.  We are ready to inspire yours. 

As we partner with nearly every academic department on the Bloomington campus and collaborate with national and international organizations, IU Libraries' people are often recognized for our leadership within these communities.  

We celebrate these spotlighted faculty and staff. Thank you for the excellence you bring to Indiana University.

Jump to recognitions for: 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018

Leadership recognition in 2023

 

Congratulations to Carey Champion and Melania Majowicz, the director and outdoor interpreter of the Wylie House Museum, respectively. With their IU Partners, Carey and Melania presented at the National Humanities Conference in Indianapolis this past October. Along with IU professors Maria Hamilton Abegunde and Raymond Wise, plus Ph.D. candidate Jeffery Giddings, the two Wylie House experts presented on the “Stargazing” program created over the last few years. The program guide of the conference asks, “What happens when scholars who are also a poet, a choral director, and a museum archivist get together?” The answer is that the group comes together to visualize dynamic ways to bring Elizabeth “Lizzie” Breckenridge (1843-1910) to the audience and to the museum. President Andrew Wylie had no servants, but the Theophilus Wylie family, who lived in the house from 1859 to 1913, did: Lizzie Breckenridge. Like other marginalized people from the past, there is a lack of information on her life in the residence where she lived for 50 years. “Stargazing” invites people to connect with Lizzie and bring her forward from the void. The 2023 National Humanities Conference’s theme was “Crossroads.” Every year, the conference encourages community-based organizations to “explore approaches to deepening the public’s engagement with the humanities.”

Five people smile and hold each other close for a photograph. The man on one end is much taller than everyone else.

Jeffrey Giddings, Maria Hamilton Abegunde, Carey Champion, Melania Majowicz, and Raymond Wise

   

Micaela has jet-black hair, shoulder length, dark eyes and a bright smile. She is young.
Christina Jones is a woman in her prime with long, straight brown hair, small eyes, but a big smile. She looks energetic.

Congratulations to Micaela Deogracias, outreach and engagement  librarian at the Education Library, and Christina Jones, head of the Education Library, for presenting at the International Visual Literacy Association's 55th Annual Conference in October 2023. Hosted at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the theme of the conference was “Ways of Seeing.”  The International Visual Literacy Association (IVLA) is an organization of professionals from various disciplines who try to understand how humans make meaning from the visual environment. Micaela and Christina presented on supporting pre-service teachers through visual literacy instruction. The presentation centered on the Education Library’s work developed around Banned Book Week. The School of Education had a door decorating campaign for banned books in the fall of 2022. Micaela and Christina shared their ideas and research that came from the experience. The Education Library was recently renovated, creating updated and new spaces for engagement with children’s literature and a simulated classroom called the WORKshop that helps pre-service K-12 teachers visualize how books, discussion, and storytelling work in the field.

 

Amanda has straight brown hair and a toothy smile. She is wearing white and red. She looks kind and knowledgable.

Congratulations to University Records Manager Amanda Rindler, who successfully navigated two years of studying and exams – while working full-time – to become a Certified Records Manager through the Institute of Certified Records Managers. Amanda is THE Records Manager for Indiana University. To become fully certified, Amanda mastered the Institute of Certified Records Managers’ six-part exam including sections focused on Management Principles and the Records and Information Program; Records and Information Creation and Use; Record Storage, Retrieval, Conversion, and Facilities; Records Appraisal, Retention, Protection and Disposition; and Technology. Part six of the examination was a written exam consisting of case studies. To keep her certification, Amanda is required to pursue regular continuing education. Amanda, one of the archivists located within University Archives, collaborates with university partners to develop and implement records management policies and procedures for every university office. University records of all formats need to be accessible and retrievable regarding their administrative, legal, fiscal, and historical value. Amanda must manage records keeping in mind institutional policies, and state and federal laws. Amanda provides guidance on records retention, best practices, appraisals, transfers, and everything in between.

Congratulations to Carrie Schwier, outreach and public services archivist in the University Archives, for presenting at the 2023 Annual Conference of the Archives and Records Association in Belfast at the end of August. Carrie presented on her paper “Primary Sources as OERs (Open-educational resources): Supporting Our Student Community through Affordable Resources.” Using actual case studies from Indiana University Libraries, Carrie makes the case for discussing the use of primary sources in Open Educational Resources (OER) and affordable course content. The typical conversation around OER centers around open access journals, e-texts, and videos. However, Carrie points to the use of primary sources as common supplemental material for instructors which has no cost. Her paper starts with a literature review and then opens into definitions and examples. Using her own experience in serving over 30 academic departments here at IU, she describes her process of using primary sources with faculty. One example in particular is from Carrie’s participation in IU Libraries Course Material Fellowship Program which is designed to help faculty who wish to integrate affordable course materials into their classes.

Carrie has tightly curled light brown hair. Her face and shoulders are slender, and she is wearing white.
Veronika has a bright smile and eyes. She has shoulder-length blond hair and a blue dress.

Congratulations to Veronika Trotter, senior collections reference assistant for Area Studies. She was awarded the 2022-2023 IUL Staff Award. Veronika is recognized for her flexibility, positive attitude, dependability, and knowledge. She assists in collection development and management, creates research guides, and reaches out to all library units, collaborating and building relationships. In addition, she serves patrons at the reference desk, her specialty being questions and needs in the Slavic and East European area. Her nominators write, “She is consistently described by colleagues and patrons as helpful, friendly, and courteous, always willing to go the extra mile to assist faculty, students, and researchers with their needs. For example, a grateful patron sent a handwritten thank you note to the library administration, citing the patient and expert assistance that Veronika provided them while staffing the reference desk.” She uses her language skills to help those in need with field-specific resources. Veronika provides instruction in information literacy and conducts classes based on Slavic materials in the Lilly Library. She also maintains connections on campus with Area Studies communities, regularly presents at national conferences, and serves on national and local committees.

Congratulations to Anna Marie Johnson, associate dean for research and learning services, on being named in a 20 year analysis as one of the 15 most productive information literacy authors in the world. In “Research Trends in Information Literacy: A Bibliometric Analysis and Network Visualisation,” scholars Rohit and Pichano Kikon looked at scholarly literature from 2001 to 2021. Using the Scopus database, they looked at 8,769 records and 73,181 citations concerning information literacy. They analyzed items such as the most frequently cited authors and the academic institutions with the most affiliated authors. In the last two decades, Anna Marie has published 20 articles on information literacy, being cited 146 times. Before coming to Indiana University Libraries in May of 2019, Anna Marie worked at the University of Louisville for 23 years in various leadership roles, including interim library director. She was active in helping to write a yearly annotated bibliography of information literacy resources for the academic journal Reference Services Review. She has authored articles on information literacy, student conceptions of the research process, reference services in academic libraries, and scholarly communication.

Anna Marie has blond hair and pale blue eyes. She is wearing red.
Jo sits with a box full of documents. They have short, red hair, and an infectious smile.

Congratulations to Jo Otremba, IU Libraries student employee, for being one of six recipients of the Indiana Humanities Wilma Gibbs Moore Fellowship. They will be awarded $5,000 for a humanities-based research project that examines anti-Black racial injustice and structural racism in Indiana. Thanks to the support of the fellowship, Jo will continue to explore the history of segregated schools in Indiana, especially during the 1930s and 1940s, along with an investigation of how segregation impacted K-12 education for Indiana’s Black community. They started this research in 2022 while working at the University Archives. Jo documented their research in a series of Archives’ blogs and a Wells Library lobby display. Jo’s research shows that in 1934 IU’s Black education students were required to train at Crispus Attucks High School, a Black high school, in Indianapolis to keep schools in Bloomington and central Indiana segregated. This created a logistical and financial hardship for the students. Besides doing further research, Jo will utilize their work as a case study for how archivists and historians should search for and incorporate Black stories in archives and repositories at predominantly white institutions. They are looking to offer suggestions on how archival collections may restructure records to make them more inclusive and accessible.

Congratulations to Rachael Stoeltje, Director of IU Libraries Moving Image Archive (IULMIA), on a successful book launch. Tales from the Vaults: Film Technology over the Years and across Continents is a volume of 100 stories about the machinery and people who made images move and the people who now preserve those images. Rachael edited this special book with her collaborator Louis Pelletier (Université de Montréal). Published by the International Federation of Film Archives and TECHNÈS, this exciting book includes the stories of the machines invented in the 18th century to the present, all to display the art of moving images. Tales from the Vaults is inclusive, sharing accounts from hobbyists, filmmakers, show folks, and archivists. This is a deep history of film beyond the act of viewing. As the launch website states, “The tales told by these pieces of cinemachinery, from the iconic to the seemingly mundane, are consequently apt to reveal how cinema developed in often widely different ways around the globe.” Rachael wears many hats. Besides being the head of IULMIA, she is the President of the Association of Moving Image Archivists, the Interim Director of the Black Film Center & Archive until Fall 2023, Co-Director of A Century of 16mm, and an Adjunct Associate Professor of  Information and Library Science at the Luddy School.

Standing against a background of film canisters, Rachael looks serious. She is wearing a dark, black blazer and a crimson scarf. Her hair is shoulder length and dark.
Cream and Crimson sign announcing "Student Employee Award Winners" and "Congratulations!" Sign contains the IU Libraries logo.

Each year the IU Libraries honors four Student Employee Recognition Awards. The purpose of the award is to recognize exceptional employees who work for the good of IU Libraries and display a combination of competence, a positive attitude, and helpfulness that is notable among their peers.

Yage Huang was nominated for her invaluable contributions such as helping to streamline processes and improve workflows. As the Student Specialized Coordinator for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean (CJK) languages, Yage’s expertise aids the Serials department in many ways. Yage’s job is difficult to fill “due to the complexity of working with serials, invoices, and vendors.” Rachel Wheeler, Head, Serials Acquisitions, stated in Yage’s nomination, “I consider myself fortunate to have the opportunity to work closely with Yage: her intelligence, language expertise, and joy were key to helping us transition during lean staffing months.”

Jo Otremba received a Recognition Award for their professionalism, passion, and hard work. Nominated by University Archives Director Dina Kellams and Outreach and Public Services Archivist Carrie Schwier, Jo’s outstanding accomplishments and upbeat attitude were praised. Only a first-year library student, Jo secured funding and presented at two conferences; published a blog series with the research resulting in a poster exhibition in the Wells lobby; created an active-learning activity for the School of Education; gave feedback for updating new descriptive processes; and maintained their regular archival duties and school load. 
 

Paige Stephens, dependable and highly skilled, was nominated by Andrea Morrison, Head, Monographic Text Cataloging and Andreah Grove-Stayner, Spanish Language & Latin American Collections cataloger. The two catalogers wrote, “She has contributed far beyond expectations for her part-time position, and we appreciate her hard work and creativity!” The list of her hard work includes preparing over 3,000 special collection materials in Portuguese; organizing a large collection of posters and comics; honing her search skills in OCLC Connexion and IUCAT to catalog many older government documents; and other significant projects. 

Julie Tran, nominated by Digital Engagement Librarian Leanne Nay, became one of the faces of Friday Finish this past year. “She makes a positive impression on everyone she meets,” Nay notes. As the Makerspace and Outreach Assistant, Julie worked in the Makerspace on her own. Not knowing anything about 3-D printing, she took classes around campus so she could teach students visiting Wells. “She is very adaptable and doesn’t get flustered when challenges arise,” explains Nay. “For example, if our equipment breaks or we have an issue with our LibCal checkout system, she doesn’t panic and does her best to troubleshoot and fix the problem.”  
 

Cream and Crimson sign announcing "Student Employee Award Winners" and "Congratulations!" Sign contains the IU Libraries logo.

Each year the IU Libraries honors four Student Employee Recognition Awards. The purpose of the award is to recognize exceptional employees who work for the good of IU Libraries and display a combination of competence, a positive attitude, and helpfulness that is notable among their peers.

White IU Trident on a red square. When a staff member elects not to have their photo online, IU Libraries uses this instead.

Congratulations to Caitlin Lamb, IU Libraries Electronic Resources Procurement Manager, for winning this year’s Attitude Matters Award. Navigating the requirements, regulations, licenses, and other details of electronic resources is no small task. Electronic Resources – e-books, databases, and online journals – is a unit within Acquisitions. Often both patrons and librarians want an issue with electronic resources  solved as soon as possible. Caitlin is a problem solver. Her nominator and co-worker, Ruth Light, Electronic Resources Access Manager, explained that Caitlin “is often at the center of these interactions, and is unflappably approachable and kind no matter the situation.” In the midst of these tense situations with pressure coming from both sides, Caitlin remains composed and reassuring to all involved. Ruth shares, “I admire the way she remains calm under pressure and can adroitly reassure folks on all sides of the status of the situation while not internalizing any negativity that might creep into an interaction.” Referring to her cool and kind demeanor, Ruth points out that Caitlin’s attitude spreads goodwill in her department and to the library in general. “Caitlin’s patience and kindness also extends to her colleagues. She is willing to do whatever is needed to support the success of other members of the team whether it is pulling together an ad-hoc meeting to discuss a suddenly pressing issue or going on a deep dive into ordering histories to provide a full summary of a complex order.” 

Congratulations to Nazareth “Naz” Pantaloni, Head of the Copyright Program at IU Libraries. Naz is the 2023 recipient of the William Evans Jenkins Librarian Award, which is presented annually in recognition of outstanding contributions by a librarian to the Indiana University Libraries, the University, or to the library profession in general. Naz was nominated by his peers who stated that he exemplifies excellence in all three areas. “As the Head of the Copyright Program,” they wrote, “Naz has not only developed an outstanding service for the libraries but also has created a robust outreach and consultation program.” Besides answering questions on copyright, Naz consults on questions involving licensure, trademarks, and privacy laws, helping our university along with other institutions. He teaches various courses involving copyright and consults with instructors about the law, especially in the Jacobs School of Music. Nationally, he is a recognized expert on music copyright law. In addition, Naz has been instrumental in the Media Digitization and Preservation Initiative (MDPI), navigating law and accessibility for patrons and community members. Also, as an active participant in leadership groups such as the Libraries’ Diversity Committee and the Bloomington Faculty Council,  Naz has been instrumental in helping to craft policy. In particular, his nominators noted, "Naz's work to meet with various constituencies and his ability to thoughtfully address concerns led to the passing of the historic campus Open Access Policy.”

Naz has a welcoming smile in a kind face. He is wearing a light blue shirt with a light brown jacket and a tie.
Jamie is in a white lab coat, holding an old film case. She is smiling and surrounded by shelving and a desk full of film items.

Congratulations to Jamie Thomas, Head Projectionist and Screening Room Coordinator, for being named the Ruth Clifford Engs Library Angel Award winner for 2023. Identified as a “treasure,” Jamie’s many nominators praised her unflappable positive attitude and incredible service ethic. One nominator pointed out, “She always makes you feel like your needs are the only ones on her plate.” Working in the IU Libraries Moving Image Archive, Jamie is fluent in many projection platforms – from digital to mechanical – making sure that films are accessible to students no matter the situation surrounding the viewing.

Her expertise in technical areas was praised as well. As another nominator said, “Film projection is its own art form and it's critical for students to see and understand that process as part of film history.” Jamie’s outgoing personality makes her a natural instructor in such cases. “The level of professionalism that Jamie provides is unparalleled,” one letter states and continues, “She is prepared. She is thorough. She is encouraging. She is supportive. She is dedicated. She makes curators and audiences feel like they are welcome.” Jamie Thomas is a true angel. 

 

 

Amy has long, brown hair. Her deep-set eyes are blue, and her smile completes her welcoming face.
Amy Minix
Sarah has straight, dark brown hair, blue eyes, and a perfect smile. In purple, she's sitting on cobblestones.
Sarah Lopez

Congratulations to Neuro-Health Sciences Librarian Amy Minix and the 2022 Carla J. Funk Health Sciences Fellowship Scholar Sarah Lopez for their poster presentation at this spring’s Medical Library Association conference. Their presentation “From Student to Practitioner: Building Health Science Librarian Skills as an ILS Student Through Co-creating an Interprofessional Education” described Sarah’s work. The Fellowship serves as an outlet for Information and Library Science students to gain knowledge about health science librarianship. Along with Amy, Sciences librarian Jen Simms started collaborating with the IU Interprofessional Practice & Education center (IPE) to create a culture of collaboration across the state and build stronger and better healthcare teams for the future. Funk Fellows have facilitated an IPE activity focused on a typical patient’s cursory “research” of their health concerns on the Internet along with searching for evidence-based articles to inform or dispel health information. This year’s fellow, Sarah Lopez, worked to create materials that would guide IPE students through the activity. Amy and Sarah’s poster discussed how the IPE activity evolved, while also highlighting the skills Sarah was able to develop and apply as a budding health information professional. 

 

Congratulations to the following librarians: Monique Threatt, Head of IU Libraries Media Services; Jackie Huddle, Visual Literacy and Resources Librarian; and nicholae cline, Librarian for Media Studies, Gender Studies, & Philosophy. Their workshop “Our Pedagogies, Our Selves: Culturally Informed and Responsive Practice” was chosen to be the preconference workshop for The Innovative Library Classroom (TILC), an annual conference devoted to high-quality, creative teaching in library classrooms. Monique, Jackie, and nicholae will address three different perspectives to answering the question, "How do our cultures, backgrounds, and experiences inform our pedagogy?” Using a critical reflective pedagogical lens, each of them will share their experiences while also cultivating a shared learning space through interactive and reflective activities. The three hope attendees of their workshop will walk away with tangible examples of reflective teaching practices and related resources. TILC, which occurs June 1 and 2 at William and Mary, is excited to have a preconference workshop for the first time. Monique, Jackie, and nicholae’s workshop will be followed by tours and social time. 

Mo has a quick smile. Her hair is pulled back. She has on glasses and is wearing green. She is a beautiful Black woman.
Monique Threatt
nicholae has short, dark hair combed to one side. They have dark eyes and glasses along with a goatee. They are wearing a red shirt and have an earring.
nicholae cline
Jackie has a head of full, dark, curly hair. Her eyes are dark as well. Her smile lights up her face, though. It is framed by dimples on both sides!
                                 Jackie Huddle

 

Congratulations to Willa Liburd Tavernier, Research Impact & Open Scholarship Librarian in IU Libraries (IUL) Scholarly Communication, for being chosen as one of the Library Journal’s Movers and Shakers of 2023. Willa is one of 49 library experts chosen as leaders in libraries, building and expanding the future of the institution. Willa is a dynamic educator, working towards equity in open scholarship. Her lead in creating the digital exhibition  Land, Wealth Liberation: the making and unmaking of Black wealth in the United States garnered national attention about the history of wealth inequities that continue today. In fact, the digital exhibition received more external news responses than any other IUL news item in recent years. Library Journal, who initiated the Movers and Shakers in 2002, divides these leaders into five categories: Community Builders, Change Agents, Innovators, Educators, and Advocates. Willa falls under the “Education” umbrella, but it is easy to see how the other four categories are inherent in her work. Willa is passionate about open scholarship and making information accessible to all. She, along with DeLoice Holliday, Multicultural Outreach Librarian and Head of NMBCC Library, recently completed work with IU Professor Dr. Maria E. Hamilton Abegunde on an American Library Association’s Civic Imagination Station grant, which allowed them to expand and enhance Dr. Abegunde's course by including digital resources and pedagogy that were not part of the original course. Their project focused on building student digital literacy and digital skills, culminating in a final digital project by each student. 

Willa has a welcoming smile. She is wearing a dark suit and a blue and yellow head scarf with white polka-dots.
Carrie has curly blond hair, small blue eyes, and a perfect smile. She is wearing white with a speckling of blue.

Congratulations to Carrie Schwier, Outreach and Public Services Archivist in the University Archives. Carrie was chosen to be a panelist on a plenary session at the Association of Canadian Archivists annual meeting this summer. The session is titled “Centering Students, Creating Belonging: Building Community in Campus Archives.” Carrie will be speaking with fellow archivists from New York University, Wake Forest, University of Kentucky, Connecticut College, and Illinois State. Also included on the panel will be Bethany Fiechter, former IU Archives student employee, now the Coordinator of Archives & Special Collections at DePauw. At IU, Carrie works tirelessly with faculty to integrate the Archives’ rich collection of primary source materials into course assignments, enabling IU students to literally touch history as part of their learning experiences. When the pandemic hit, the nature of her instruction went from inviting students into the Archives to teaching them online. Teaching online has provided her with many opportunities to learn and incorporate new technologies, which she is still utilizing in classes today. The Canadian Archivists’ conference is called “Belonging - Considering archival bonds and disconnects.” Carrie’s expertise will add much experience and wisdom to the conference.

Congratulations to Business/SPEA LIbrary student employee Tateana Cutter who received a P.J. and Hilda W. Hill Award from the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Tateana is a healthcare management major with a minor in law and public policy who has been an active student leader. The P. J. and Hilda W. Hill Award was established by P. J. Hill, a 1920 graduate of Indiana University and the first Black principal of an American desegregated secondary school. The award is presented to outstanding seniors with a demonstrated commitment to creating an equitable and inclusive campus during their undergraduate careers. Tateana has done this by serving in high-level leadership roles in the Black Student Union and in the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She also was a member of the 2019–2020 Civic Leaders Center cohort and the coordinator of Denim Day and Sexual Assault Awareness Month for the Black Student Union. Tateana is also an O’Neill honors student and is conducting research on the effects of the COVID-19 public health emergency on maternal mental health and well-being in ACA-expansive and non–ACA-expansive states. You can watch a video of Tateana shown during the 2023 Senior Recognitions Ceremony; start at 15:15.

Tateana has a brilliant smile, curly light hair, and a Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority sweater on.
Ilana Stonebraker

Congratulations to Ilana Stonebraker, Head of the Business/SPEA Library, on her election as the 2023-24 President-Elect of the American Library Association's Reference and User Services Association (RUSA). She will serve her Presidential term during 2024-25, followed by a one-year term as Past President.

Ilana joined IU Libraries in 2020. In her role as Head of the Business/SPEA Library she serves as the primary contact to faculty, students, and staff of the Kelley School of Business and the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) with a staff who provide core services such as instruction, reference, circulation, and reserves. She also serves as the subject specialist for Economics.

The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) is a division of the American Library Association. RUSA serves all types of libraries in reference, user services, adult readers' advisory and collection development as well as resource sharing, genealogy and archives, business reference, and reference technology.

Leadership recognition in 2022

 

Congratulations to Dina Kellams, Director of the University Archives, on being appointed to the State Historical Records Advisory Board by Governor Holcomb. The advisory board was created in 2006 to work with the National Historical Publications and Records Commission to facilitate grants to “help identify, preserve, and provide public access to records, photographs, and other materials that document American history.” Dina, whose appointment is through 2025, will be working with the Indiana State Archivist Chandler Lighty, who serves as the chairman of the board. The Indiana State Archives hold materials as old as the 1700s - before Indiana was a state. Besides her appointment to the State Historical Records Advisory Board, she is a member of the Society of American Archivists, the Midwest Archives Conference, and the Society of Indiana Archivists, where she has served in leadership roles or contributed to their missions through committee work. Dina is a passionate proponent of Indiana University history, with a particular focus on student and campus life.

Dina Kellams has an oval face, dark curly hair, dark glasses, and blue eyes.
Akram looks straight at the camera. He has dark eyes, hair, and glasses.

Congratulations to Akram Habibulla, Librarian for Middle Eastern, Islamic, and Central Eurasian Studies, for receiving a Fulbright Specialist award. Akram will complete a library science project at Auezov South Kazakhstan University, helping to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and nurture partnerships between participants. Funded by the U.S. government, the Fulbright Program operates in 160 countries worldwide, fostering world-wide cooperation in education. Akram is one of 400 U.S. citizens this year to share their expertise with an international host institution. Fulbright Specialists like Akram are chosen based on their academic and professional achievement, demonstrated leadership in their field, and their potential to build long-term relationships with institutions abroad. Since 1946 when it was established, the Fulbright Program has supported many international partnerships that have provided solutions to world-wide problems. IU Libraries praises Akram for his achievement in receiving this prestigious award.

Congratulations to Amanda Rindler, University Records Manager, who has earned her Certified Records Analyst designation. Full of policy regulations, Records management at IU ensures that university records are available and accessible in various formats. Following both state and federal laws, the University Records Manager must keep in mind considerations of administrative, legal, financial, and historical value. Amanda is halfway through the demanding course of exams provided by the Institute of Certified Records Managers, the experts in the field, which in turn, make her the expert at IUB. Amanda works directly with units on campus to help them with their records questions and concerns. How long should they keep records? Should they be transferred to the Archives or disposed of? How does one dispose of records properly? She also helps units develop plans for a records retention schedule. As she said when interviewed for her “Behind the Curtain” profile in Blogging Hoosier History, the University Archives blog, “Effective records management also improves accountability and compliance and can save time, money, and effort by not storing and retrieving records that do not need to be retained.”

Amanda Rindler stands in front of a case of books with her left hand across her trunk. She has brown, straight hair and a smile.
Rebecca Baumann looks slying over the top of a book she appears to be reading.

Congratulations to Rebecca Baumann, Head of Public Services and Associate Curator of Modern Books and Manuscripts at the Lilly Library, for being named the new editor of SHARP in the Classroom, an open-access publication of the Society for the History of Authorship, Reading, and Publishing. Starting in January of 2021, the online space was designed as a networking arena for instructors of book history to share their pedagogical ideas, exercises, lessons, and reflections. SHARP in the Classroom invites all types of teachers to share their passions and tips; they welcome discourse and reflection. Determined to cultivate engagement in teaching primary materials, Baumann has helped increase the number of librarian-taught sessions at Indiana University. She stopped counting her classroom visits after 700. Her love of books is contagious as witnessed by her own words: “The book history instructor is in some sense a spirit medium, teaching that all books are haunted by their past makers, readers, and collectors. We teach students how to use their senses and their investigatory skills to discover traces of the past captured in these books and manuscripts in inscriptions, bookplates, marginalia, and evidence of how the book was printed and collated.”

Congratulations to University Archives Director Dina Kellams for being the keynote speaker, and consummate IU storyteller, at the annual IU Foundation Arbutus Society luncheon, honoring donors of Indiana University. Always fascinating to alumni and donors, the University Archives specializes in collecting records, faculty papers, and student life. In Dina’s talk she gave specific examples of the importance of these archival collections and their impact on the university itself. For example, she spoke about Eric Langowski who graduated in 2018. Working with the Archives, Langowski was able to find the names of Japanese applicants to IU who were denied entry during WWII along with other materials to support his request for acknowledgment of what had happened. This led to a formal apology, a plaque, a meditative bench, and the establishment of the Masuji Miyakawa Scholarship for underrepresented students who face structural barriers to higher education. Dina’s speech was not only received well, but it also generated several letters from alumni who were touched. One ended his letter, “Thank you for leading from in front, retelling all the wonderful life-changing things a great University can do not only for our state but for our country. These are stories worth repeating.”

Dina Kellams has an oval face, dark curly hair, dark glasses, and blue eyes.

 

Congratulations to librarians Amy Minix, Alyssa Denneler, and Anna Marie Johnson. The trio took their presentation “Faking It ‘Til We Make It: Libraries Supporting Researchers in Systematic and Scoping Reviews” to the 51st LIBER (Ligue des Bibliothèques Européennes de Recherche – Association of European Research Libraries) Annual Conference at the University of Southern Denmark Library. In their presentation, Neuro- and Health Sciences Librarian Amy Minix, Scholars’ Commons Librarian Alyssa Denneler, and Anna Marie Johnson, Head of Scholars’ Commons and Interim Head of Teaching and Learning at IU Libraries, spoke about how systematic reviews, once a feature of the health and medical sciences, are increasingly being sought after in other research areas. Their session gave an overview of systematic and scoping reviews in the U.S. Using the case of Indiana University Bloomington, the librarians graphed the increase in need and described how librarians can help fill this niche along with the benefits and deficits it creates.

Anna Marie is fair skinned, blonde, and serious. She is wearing red, which match her rosy cheeks.
Anna Marie Johnson
Amy Minix has a welcoming smile, darkish long hair, and blue eyes framed dark brown
Amy Minix
Alyssa has shoulder length wavy, brown hair, small eyes and distinct smile
                                                Alyssa Denneler

 

Two notecards showing Lilly Library Murals on top of gold and white boxed container. The murals are vivid in color and detail.

Congratulations to IU Libraries’ Communications for their winning design of the Lilly Library Mural note card folio. The note card collection consists of reproductions of Ralph Gilbert’s remarkable graphic murals recently installed in the Lilly Library Reading Room. The vivid pictures are enclosed in a clever box folio designed by Gail Godwin, now with IU Studios. The folio box is made to resemble the iconic, gold embossed doors of the Lilly building. World Arts, Inc. did the physical printing of the beautiful piece and was recognized by the Great Lakes Graphic Association. The elegant folio won a 2022 Gutenberg Award in the cards category.

Congratulations to Velencia Posso, this year’s Jay Information Literacy Fellowship recipient. Helping to improve information literacy at Indiana University is a big task, especially when it comes to new users. Velencia tackled it in 2020-2021 by creating a game, Herman B Wells: Alternate Reality Game. The game starts in the lobby of the Wells Library, leading students to different departments, discovering services, resources, and other Library treasures. Besides creating the game, Velencia was often seen helping students build their research and information literacy skills at the Learning Commons Research Desk. Along with the LGBTQ+ Culture Center, she facilitated a trivia night, and helped with a Maker Space workshop as well. During the spring and fall, Velencia brought her enthusiasm and assisted with Destress Fest, encouraging healthy behaviors in undergraduates to tackle the stress of college life. 

Velencia Posso has a big smile. Her hair is neon green mostly with a black crown. She is wearing yellow and looks like she would be a friend of yours in mischeivous deeds.

 

 

 

 

text on white background reads Student Employee Recognition Award Winners

 

Each year the IU Libraries honors four Student Employee Recognition Awards. The purpose of the award is to recognize exceptional employees who work for the good of the Libraries and display a combination of competence, a positive attitude, and helpfulness that is notable among their peers.

Jordan Bayles was nominated for her positive attitude, problem-solving skills, and for being a vital part of the Serials’ team. Nominated by her supervisor, Erin McAvoy, Jordan is currently the longest-working student employee in Serials Receiving. She is praised for navigating pandemic protocols and quarantine rules with professionalism. As a student who has become an expert, they give her “more nuanced problems” because Serials can depend on her. Erin wrote, “I’m thrilled that we get to work with her for another year before she graduates.”

Anna Holmes was nominated by three Lilly Library staff members: Librarian Maureen Maryanski, Reference and Reception Coordinator Erin Chiparo, and Instructional Associate/Reading Room Coordinator Sarah Mitchell. The trio started their nomination with, “We have been consistently impressed by Anna’s infectious exuberance as well as by the curiosity and passion with which she approaches special collections work.” Noted for her firm, but kind demeanor, customer service skills, adaptability, and hard work, Anna is an exemplary student employee who takes initiative.

Chris Mendez, courteous and professional, was nominated for his work at the Scholars’ Commons’ Reference Desk by Edwin Cheek, senior collections and reference associate. Edwin writes of Chris’ character: “He has especially helped foster a cooperative atmosphere by working jointly with colleagues to answer reference questions, by frequently working as a substitute when others needed to miss shifts, and by maintaining exemplary levels of efficiency and professionalism in his communications with supervisors and other employees.” Besides his flexibility and tenacity in finding answers, it was noted that Chris is not an MLS student, but working on his Ph.D. in English, where he also teaches.

 

Congratulations to Jim Champion, Libraries Facilities and Renovation Officer, for winning the 2021-2022 Exempt IU Libraries Staff Award. “Without complaint,” Jim’s nominator stated repeatedly when describing his dependability and hard work. As the building manager for all Libraries’ facilities, Jim has coordinated the moving of books, furniture, mail, and shelving between libraries. During the pandemic when no one else was on campus, Jim was one of the few always present physically on site. When Lilly Library needed floors of books moved back for the re-opening, Jim worked diligently, installing shelving, correcting errors, and moving back and forth from the storage site to Lilly Library. In addition, he ran the IU Libraries’ mailroom for a year, facilitating the daily run of books between libraries along with the receiving, delivery, packaging, and shipping of many books and materials.

White IU Trident on crimson background. This is used when a staff profile is not available.
Richard is wearing a button down shirt. He has reddish-brown hair, cropped short, and a mustache. He wears glasses and is looking somewhat serious.

Congratulations to Richard Marshall, Public Services Supervisor at Cook Music Library. Richard is one of the outstanding employees to win an Attitude Matters award this year. As Misti Shaw, Head of Music Library Public Services and Richard's nominator, pointed out, “Everyone works hard, especially in the music library, but I believe that our community of users have Richard to thank for many of the services and access they were able to enjoy during a difficult time.” Unlike other libraries that could rely on electronic resources during the pandemic, the music library needed to provide physical scores. Despite the loss of staff, Richard was always there, never complaining, and constantly flexible, serving the community unfailingly.  At times, he was the only public services staff employee at the library. He filled many roles, stepped up when he saw a need, and supervised students with a relatable style. Misti shared, “Students have specifically mentioned that Richard is a big reason they love working in the music library."

Congratulations to Ruth Light, Electronic Resources Access Manager for winning the non-exempt IU Libraries staff award this year. Working behind the scenes, often invisible to others, Ruth and her team ensure that electronic resources are available and working. Rachel Wheeler, Head of Serials Acquisitions nominated Ruth, citing her creativity: “Ruth is clever and resourceful; she often comes up with unique ways to manage the limitations of our electronic resource management system.” In her nomination, Rachel presented examples of Ruth’s leadership, tenacity, and willingness to help others. Noting the technical complexity of Ruth’s work, Rachel notes, “I don’t think many can appreciate how her work makes a difference not just for our campus, but systemwide.”   

White IU Trident on crimson background. This is used when a staff profile is not available.
Debbie Howard has silver hair, tied back. She has an oval face with an inquisitive smile.

Congratulations to Debbie Howard from Libraries’ Financial Services (LFS). She was one of two invaluable IU Libraries employees to win this year’s Attitude Matters award. As Debbie’s supervisor pointed out in her nomination, Debbie goes out of her way to help others. "Not only is Debbie valued by LFS but also by the Student Financial Aid Office. When their office has additional work-study funds that need to be used, they give Debbie a call. They know they can count on her to find Libraries student employees who can use these funds. This is a win-win situation and saves money for the Libraries. This past fiscal year, in addition to performing her own job duties, she also stepped up and assisted our Libraries Human Resources." Debbie is known for her dependability, can-do attitude, and friendly spirit.

Congratulations to Amy Minix, Neuro- and Health Sciences Librarian. Amy is the 2021-2022 recipient of the Herbert S. and Virginia White Professional Development Award, graciously funded by Herb White, the Dean of the School of Information and Library Science from 1979 to 1991. As a science librarian working with the new Health Sciences Library Research Center, Amy has been asked to do more evidence synthesis, a type of literature review that involves a team synthesizing all of the literature from various disciplines on a given topic. She has sought out training and mentors to teach herself the intricacies of the meticulous process. Along with two other colleagues, she will be presenting a paper on the topic at this year’s LIBER (Ligue des Bibliothèques Européennes de Recherche – Association of European Research Libraries) in Odense, Denmark during the month of July. The presentation will highlight the journey of discovering and learning evidence synthesis.

Amy Minix is young and round faced. Her blue eyes and friendly smile are framed in long, light brown hair.
A young woman with a big smile. She has long, straight black hair, dark glasses, and a feeling of joy about her.

Congratulations to Thi Lettner, one of this year’s E. Lingle Craig Fellowship recipients. Inspired by difficulties in Bloomington’s housing market, Thi created a one-stop service for students facing housing insecurity and/or homelessness. The fruition of Thi’s project is the Comfort Cabinet located in the Learning Commons’ hallway. The cabinet is as big as the vending machine next to it, but all its contents are free. Besides soaps, toothbrushes, hand sanitizer, and other necessities, the cabinet contains brochures, flyers, and a QR code that takes cabinet visitors to Thi’s research guide on housing insecurity in Bloomington. The research guide includes both campus and city resources. What is especially unique about Thi’s research is that she knits together the eclectic and disconnected resources on housing insecurity.

Congratulations to G. Arave, Research and Instruction Librarian at Business/SPEA Library, for winning the 2021-2022  Ruth Clifford Engs Library Angel Award. Given for exemplary service, two Kelley School of Business professors nominated G. for his enthusiasm and dedication to helping them succeed in instruction. One nominator wrote, “His reliability, and student rapport make him a trusted teaching partner. He does all that he can to speak to every student, often working nine-hour days to do extra teaching.” The other nominator gave several examples of G.’s hard work and service ethic. That nominator stated, “He brings out the best in the academic practice at Kelley. I honestly would not know how to maintain the level of academic quality I offer without his assistance.”

White IU Trident on crimson background. This is used when a staff profile is not available.
James Henry is a bearded young man with a warm smile on a yellow-leaved fall day.

Congratulations to graduate student employee James Henry Smith, one of this year’s E. Lingle Craig Fellowship recipients. Working with the Information Literacy Online Toolkit, James Henry created a new module on the topic of metaliteracy for their fellowship project. Expanding information literacy, metaliteracy includes the act of thinking about the information – metacognition – and the act of engagement with others as essential components of the information landscape. James Henry’s module involves creating an infographic using information learned in an IU course, backed up with cited sources. Not only does this involve multiple literacies such as visual, informational, and maker literacies to create such a product, but the infographic also helps combat misinformation on the internet.

Congratulations to Lori Duggan, Head of Acquisitions, for winning the 2021-2022 William Evans Jenkins Librarian Award from the IU Libraries.  Named after the esteemed William Evans Jenkins, the chief librarian of Indiana University from 1904 to 1921, the Jenkins award is presented annually to a librarian who has provided outstanding contributions to the Indiana University Libraries or to the library profession in general. Lori was nominated by multiple associates citing her unfailing ability to make sure requested materials were obtained for the collection. One nominator explained the complexity of acquiring licensing of electronic resources via collections of organizations and Lori’s agility in negotiating such confounding terrain: “Collections are one of the central pillars of our library, and without Lori’s many contributions we would simply not be able to develop our world-class collections.”

Lori has a calming smile and long, brown hair. She is wearing dark glasses and has on a dark blazer.
Against a vivid green background, a happy woman holds a certificate surrounded by seven young people.

Congratulations to Mara Bernstein, Advancement Associate for IU Libraries Development, on receiving the inaugural Queer Student Union’s (QSU) Outstanding Alumni Award for the 2021-2022 school year. The Queer Student Union focuses on empowering LGBTQ+ students primarily through community building and advocacy at IU. Mara expertly modeled such leadership. Her advocacy and support uplifted the students throughout the year. In addition, QSU dedicates itself to intersectionality and striving for healthy queer livelihoods. Active in multiple organizations such as the People’s Cooperative Market and Black Lives Matter, Mara has demonstrated how to live life to the fullest, creating community and ensuring diversity and justice all around one’s spaces.  

Congratulations to Meghan Langford, a student employee at the Education Library, for being awarded the 2022 Provost's Award for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity in the Humanities for her analysis of children’s books about native culture. Mentored by Education Librarian Christina Jones, Langford created a website of her findings entitled  “Addressing the Modernity of Indigenous Culture in Illustrated Children's Literature Over Time,” currently only available on IU’s Google network. This Provost award honors exemplary work in research and creativity that typify the university’s academic mission. Such awards also point to the importance of such activity on campus. Meghan’s outstanding work documents the treatment of Indigenous culture in children’s literature from 1950 to the present.

Meghan smiles in her black graduation gown. She has long brown hair, glasses, and is wearing a red dress and sash.
Beautiful brown woman in a yellow headband and yellow sweater.

Congratulations to librarian DeLoice Holliday, the Head of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center Library for being published in The Black Librarian in America: Reflections, Resistance, and Reawakening. Sponsored by the 52-year-old Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA), the book is organized into 4 thematic sections relating to Black librarians' contributions, competencies, and intersectional identities. Holliday, who is also the Multicultural Outreach Librarian and Collection Manager for African American and African Diaspora Studies, wrote her chapter with Michele Fenton from the Indiana State Library.  “Leading While Black” addresses the obstacles, solutions, and future of Black leaders in the library profession. Holliday and Fenton ask the question, “Are we up for the Challenge?” and answer with a persistent “Yes!”

 

Congratulations to Lilly Library Public Services Librarian Ursula Romero on securing a Mellon Fellowship. The Rare Book School’s prestigious Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship for Diversity, Inclusion & Cultural Heritage is a 6-year program for a total of 45 fellows from diverse backgrounds who work “with collections that document minority, immigrant, and non-Western cultural traditions.” Hoping to build skills, forge new connections, raise awareness, and advance careers, this Mellon Fellowship includes courses, workshops, funding, and opportunities for events. Rebecca Baumann, Head of public services and associate curator of modern books and manuscripts for the Lilly Library, explains, “This will allow Ursula to take several Rare Book School Courses and host a future RBS symposium at the Lilly Library.”

Ursula Romero has a slight smile and bright, brown eyes behind her glasses. A young librarian, she is wearing a black sweater with a white, flowered collar.

Leadership recognition in 2021

 

Congratulations to Daemon Shell, the Facilities Operations Representative for the Herman B Wells Library. He has been awarded a Staff Merit Award for 2021. Presented by the Office of the Provost, the Merit Awards are for outstanding service to the Bloomington campus. Shell is a gracious, positive, and modest caretaker of the building. Having cared for the building and those in it for over thirty years, the IU Libraries is grateful every day for Shell’s kindness and hard work.

Man smiling with red Holiday tie in his Facility Operations uniform.
Rachael Stoeltje stands in front of metal shelving which contains many canisters of film reels.

Congratulations to Rachael Stoeltje, Director of the Indiana University Libraries Moving Image Archive. She was elected President of the Board of Directors for the Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA). Rachael will start serving a two-year term November 19, 2021. The media professionals of AMIA are devoted to the preservation and use of moving image media among likeminded organizations. AMIA, an international nonprofit, supports both public and professional education. Rachael has been an active leader in the world of media archiving, serving and consulting with libraries around the nation. In addition, she has served on the Executive Committee of the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF), working with films worldwide. In 2019, she facilitated the first Biennial Audio Visual Archival Summer School (BAVASS), a global event for emerging film archivists.

Meghan Langford was nominated by Christina Jones, Head of the Education Library. Meghan was chosen for her positivity, creativity, and service-ethic. According to Christina, Meghan’s “energy and passion are truly above and beyond what one would expect from an hourly position.”

Jason Steptoe was nominated for his dependability, accuracy, and coordination of a significant stack shifting project. Will Scharfenberger, his nominator, described Jason as a strong asset, engaging, and an active contributor to the Music Library.

Katherine Tilghman, kind and thoughtful, was nominated for her work in Document Delivery by Catherine Berndt. Having to work with staff from multiple departments plus patrons, Katherine shows patience and courtesy getting materials to everyone.

text on white background reads Student Employee Recognition Award Winners

 

Each year the IU Libraries honors four Student Employee Recognition Awards. The purpose of the award is to recognize exceptional employees who work for the good of the Libraries and display a combination of competence, a positive attitude, and helpfulness that is notable among their peers.

Picture of librarian in a blue suit coat with a red tie.

Congratulations to Nicholas Wyant, former social sciences librarian, who won an honorable mention at the 2021 ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) for the paper “Empowering Resignation: There’s an App for That.” The international ACM conference, held virtually for the first time this year, is highly respected in the fields of human-computer interaction and computer science. The paper, which Wyant wrote with four colleagues, addresses the resignation of privacy many people feel when offered digital convenience and other benefits. It also discusses the limits of using privacy tools.

Congratulations to Sarah Carter, Art, Architecture and Design Librarian, for being elected secretary of the Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA). She will serve for two years. From 2011 to 2013, Carter served as the Education Liaison for the Society, the foremost art information organization. An active and engaged member since 2003, Carter has just finished a term as the Chair of the Midstates Chapter. Carter’s work focuses on increasing access to art information and facilitating the research needs of students in the arts and design.

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Image of the celebrant

Congratulations to Michelle Hahn, Sound Recordings Cataloger at the Music Library, for earning her MS in Project Management and Operations from Southern New Hampshire University. Having started in 2018, Michelle finished the online program at the end of 2020 in the middle of a pandemic. Hahn loved the online flexibility to take advantage of some extra time awake. Though the pandemic has delayed her graduation, she will happily attend when it does for several reasons. First, her military family can stand up when veterans are asked to rise. And second, she has her cap decorated and ready to throw in the air.

Congratulations to Ashante Thomas, Assistant Acquiring Editor for the IU Press, for earning her Master of Science in Strategic Management from the Kelley School of Business under extremely challenging circumstances. Not only did she finish up her master's during a pandemic, she did it while working full time. On top of that, her supervisor retired in 2019, so Ashante took on extra assignments, duties, and other responsibilities. Her colleagues are extremely proud of her and grateful to have her on their team.

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Willa Tavernier

Congratulations to Willa Tavernier, librarian in Scholarly Communication and Research and Learning Services, for her two new positions in national library organizations. Willa was elected to serve a three-year term on the board of the Library Publishing Coalition (LPC), a self-governing association of academic and research libraries focused on scholarly publishing. Along with LPC, Willa was elected to another three-year term as secretary of NASIG (formerly the North American Serials Interest Group, Inc.). NASIG, too, is an organization concerned with scholarly communications, encouraging discussion and information sharing.

Congratulations to Erin Ellis, IU Libraries Associate Dean for Research and Learning Services, for being elected Vice-President/President-Elect of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). She will become president-elect in July 2021 and assume the presidency in July 2022 for a one-year term. Erin has been an active member of ACRL for 16 years, serving on many committees in various positions, including chair. Ready “to listen, work, and develop with this inspiring community,” Erin relishes the complex opportunities ahead.

Erin Ellis, IU Libraries Associate Dean for Research and Learning Services
Carrie Schwier outreach and public services archivist

Congratulations to Carrie Schwier, Outreach and Public Services Archivist at University Archives, who won the Midwest Archives Conference (MAC) New Author Award for co-writing the article “Learning in Place: The Teaching Archivist and Place-Based Education,” which was published in MAC’s publication Archival Issues. The New Author Award, which is dispersed every other year, is given to outstanding writer-archivists who had not previously published articles in professional journals. Carrie demonstrated student engagement with primary sources using a case study of her work with jewelry design students and the legacy papers of former professor Alma Eikerman.

Congratulations to Carey Champion, Director of the Wylie House Museum, who won the Midwest Archives Conference (MAC) New Author Award for co-writing the article “Learning in Place: The Teaching Archivist and Place-Based Education,” which was published in MAC’s publication Archival Issues. The New Author Award, which is dispersed every other year, is given to outstanding writer-archivists who had not previously published articles in professional journals. To explore the strengths of Place-Based Learning, Carey used examples of students using Wylie House Museum primary sources to understand the history of fashion.

Carey Champion, director of Wylie House Museum
Jennifer Chaffin

Congratulations to Jennifer Chaffin, Director of IU Libraries Human Resources, for receiving a Bicentennial Medal. Being only one of five HR representatives from the Bloomington campus, Jennifer was chosen to serve on the Indiana University state-wide HR 2020 Steering Committee. Over the course of several years, the HR 2020 Steering Committee developed a dynamic and responsive vision for IU Human Resources, including building a more collaborative HR network and improving employee engagement.

Leadership recognition in 2020

 

Congratulations to Moira Marsh, librarian for Anthropology, Folklore, and Sociology, who has received a Bicentennial Medal in recognition of her service to Indiana University. Besides delighting us all with wonderful tales from the past dealing with human and animal idiosyncrasies, she was the 2018-2019 Bloomington Faculty Council President. During her tenure, the Council adopted a number of amendments and policies to the Bloomington Faculty Constitution, expanding representation for non-tenure track faculty.

Picture of Moira Marsh
Erika Dowell's picture

Congratulations to Erika Dowell, associate director and curator of modern books and manuscripts at Lilly Library, who has received a Bicentennial Medal in recognition of her service to Indiana University. On top of her work at Lilly Library, Erika gave of her time and talent as President of the Bloomington Faculty Council for the 2009-2010 and the 2010-2011 school years. Presiding over multiple committees, Erika guided the Council to consensus on many issues, academic and non-academic. “Please know that all your time, effort, and contributions to Indiana University," Provost Robel wrote, "are greatly appreciated and do not go unnoticed.”

Congratulations to Molly Wittenberg, university records manager, who has received a Bicentennial Medal in recognition of her work with the Office of the Bicentennial. Of the many ways the Archives supported IU’s Bicentennial, a key component was collaborating with faculty. During the years leading up to 2020, Molly became the very first University Records Manager, creating a system-wide records management program. Finding correspondence and other treasures in the papers and records --both physical and electronic -- of offices provides a fuller picture of the history of the University and the relationships between people, departments, and the University as a whole. In December, Molly joined her family in Colorado, where she will meet her next challenge in Records Management.

Molly Wittenberg's Image
Brad Cook with a collection of archival photographs

Congratulations to Brad Cook, photograph curator for the University Archives, who has received a Bicentennial Medal in recognition of his work with the Office of the Bicentennial. Working for three plus years before the actual Bicentennial, Brad conducted research to find and make photographs accessible. Part of his research work involved the IU Escape Room “where images of various periods of IU history had to be found.” Brad was brought scripts for documentaries, objects, and ideas for articles. He had to provide the visuals and the research behind the images. As many in the Archives can attest to, Brad says they “were beyond busy.”

Congratulations to Carrie Schwier, outreach and public services archivist, who has received a Bicentennial Medal in recognition of her work with the Office of the Bicentennial. Along with Terry Clapacs and Dina Kellams, Carrie helped research, write, and produce Indiana University: America's Legacy Campus, one of the first Well House books to be published for the Bicentennial. She contributed to 200: The Bicentennial Magazine, supported faculty in a myriad of ways, and brought the past to life for IU students through her work making primary sources accessible. Carrie animated IU history for students, staff, and faculty.

Carrie Schwier outreach and public services archivist
Picture of Bicentennial Medalist Mary Mellon.

Congratulations to Mary Mellon, digital archivist, who has received a Bicentennial Medal in recognition of her work with the Office of the Bicentennial. From collecting IU websites before they disappeared to curating exhibits on the 1968 Bloomington campus, Mary provided the Bicentennial with photos and unending support. Increasing the access and findability of thousands of letters, pictures, and other ephemera, Mary has increased the digital footprint of IU’s history. As Dina Kellams, Director of the University Archives, wrote when congragulating her staff, Mary and her co-workers "answered and assisted university staff with many, many research projects and reference queries."

Congratulations to Liana H. Zhou, director of the Kinsey Institute Library, who has received a Bicentennial Medal in recognition of her work with the Office of the Bicentennial. Liana was honored with the medal for “her dedication to the protection of the archives and artifacts under her care, preserving a record of current and past human sexuality for future generations to study and understand.” Highly respected in her field, Liana has steered the notable and world renown collection through technical challenges and a disastrous flood; she has been at the helm for over 20 years, bringing the Kinsey Library and Special Collections into the 21st century.

Liana Zhou
Willa Tavernier

Congratulations to Open Scholarship Resident Librarian Willa Tavernier for her outstanding service to the Library Publishing Coalition (LPC). She was awarded a LPC 2020 Exemplary Service Award for her unwavering commitment and organizational excellence in the LPC Diversity and Inclusion Task Force. Willa’s nominators praised her for “helping us face uncomfortable truths while also guiding us to think and talk about concrete actions we can take to begin to fix these problems.” Honored upon receiving the recognition, Willa affirmed, “I advocate for the Library Publishing Coalition to make anti-racism, equity, and inclusion foundational principles of its work, and to spearhead transformational change in library publishing. I believe that the many unique and talented people in our community can make that happen.”

Congratulations to Pam Rude, senior artist and book designer for the IU Press, who has received a Bicentennial Medal in recognition of her work with the Office of the Bicentennial. President McRobbie gave the deserved medal to Pam for her outstanding designs of many Well House Books, which focus on the people, places, and events that have spurred 200 years of IU accomplishments. In addition, McRobbie noted Pam's many years of service, creating beautiful books in general.

Pam Rude
Christina Jones

Each year, Storytelling Arts of Indiana rewards two recipients with the Frank Basile Emerging Stories Fellowship. Christina Jones, head of the Education Library, was awarded this year’s prize which fosters emerging talent in the art of storytelling. The resources made available to Christina gave her the support to craft “The Sunny Side of Virginia Street: Kitchen-Table Stories & Musical Memories,” which she performed with her mother on Storytelling Arts of Indiana’s Facebook Live page. Congratulations, Christina, for having your talent recognized!

Congratulations to Dina Kellams, director of the University Archives, who has received a Bicentennial Medal in recognition of her work with the Office of the Bicentennial. It is difficult to separate the University Archives from the Bicentennial. Under Dina’s leadership, the Archives provided endless hours of research, photos, and documents for presentations, print materials, and projects for the University’s 200th anniversary. Dina contributed to several Bicentennial books and was a contributing writer to 200: The Bicentennial Magazine. She also spoke on panels and in seminars. As Kristin Leaman, Bicentennial Archivist, wrote “... it is no understatement to say the research, projects, and publications would not have been possible without the expertise of Dina Kellams.”

Dina Kellams
Heather Sloan

Congratulations to Heather Sloan, media and map services assistant, winner of the 2020 Outstanding Percussive Arts Society Service Award. The Outstanding PAS Service Award was established to recognize an individual each year that has provided service to the organization through a significant project, cause, or cumulative service that has made a significant contribution to the Society as a whole. Heather was recognized with this award for her role as the initial Chair of the PAS Diversity Alliance and her continued service to PAS. Heather received her DMA in Percussion Performance at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. She is a Fulbright scholar with a specialization in Caribbean music, especially Afro-Caribbean folkloric expressions of the Dominican Republic. She presents regularly in the US and elsewhere; recent work includes a Spanish-language research presentation on the changing symbolic roles of women in Dominican bachata music at the Seventh Congress of Caribbean Music, Identity & Culture in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Heather is currently finishing a Master’s degree in Information and Library Sciences with a Specialization in Digital Humanities. She uses digital mapping and storytelling to explore intersections between socio-political, cultural, and ecological concerns in Afro-Caribbean music traditions.

Congratulations to Michelle Dalmau, head of digital collections, who has received a Bicentennial Medal in recognition of her work with the Indiana University Office of the Bicentennial. Michelle, working with colleagues in Library Technologies and across the IU Libraries statewide, has been crucial to the success of multiple initiatives under the auspices of IU’s Bicentennial Archives Development and Deployment project. Among other accomplishments, Michelle developed and championed a plan to revamp IU’s digital infrastructure for support of archival collections description and access through the Next Generation Archives Online project, the first outputs of which are now available at archives.iu.edu. She has also led the design and management of the Bicentennial Student Newspapers project, which is currently working to digitize student newspapers from IUPUI and IU’s regional campuses to be preserved and made available online later this year.

Michelle Dalmau
Jon Cameron

Congratulations to Jon Cameron, digital media services manager, who has received a Bicentennial Medal in recognition of his work with the Indiana University Office of the Bicentennial. Jon, working with colleagues in Library Technologies and across the IU Libraries statewide, has been crucial to the success of multiple initiatives under the auspices of IU’s Bicentennial Archives Development and Deployment project. Jon has been instrumental in establishing workflows for processing, transcribing and publishing oral history interviews from the IU Bicentennial Oral History project and in making over 1300 oral histories available for listening and full-text search through use of Avalon and Aviary software at oralhistory.iu.edu. He has also been a key player in making audio, video, and film content from IU’s Media Digitization and Preservation Initiative in his role as service manager for Media Collections Online.

Congratulations to Kristin Leaman, Bicentennial archivist in the University Archives, who has received a Bicentennial Medal in recognition of her work with the Office of the Bicentennial. She has assisted staff throughout Indiana University in their work to mark the Bicentennial, has led the expansion of the Bicentennial Oral History Project, and has been key in helping the campus archives across the IU system acquire the necessary tools to document and share their institutional histories.

Kristin Leaman
IU Trident Logo

G. Arave, research and instruction librarian for Business/SPEA, and the BUS-X170: How Business Works team were honored with the Kelley School’s 2020 Innovative Award. This award recognizes excellence in teaching philosophy and faculty teaching techniques. X170 is a new, hybrid basic course for first-year Direct Admit Kelley students and was first offered in summer 2019. G., with six faculty members from various functional areas of business, developed new course content, produced instructional videos and handouts, and co-taught the course.

Rivkah Cooke, head of electronic resources acquisitions, received the NASIG Diversity and Inclusion Award. This award furthers the NASIG mission to increase diversity and inclusion among the organizational membership, and includes travel to the NASIG Annual Conference and membership in the NASIG organization.

Rivkah Cooke
Kumiko Reichert

Kumiko Reichert, East Asian cataloging librarian, was selected to participate in the highly competitive 2020 Library of Congress – Council on East Asian Libraries (CEAL) Cataloging Internship Program. This nine-week program, which includes four weeks of onsite training at the Library of Congress, provides intensive metadata instruction and practice for metadata professionals working with East Asian language materials. Kumiko will use this opportunity to sharpen her skills with Japanese language materials and pursue an immersive learning opportunity in Korean language materials cataloging.

Stephanie Brown is the 2019-2020 IU Libraries Robert A. Oppliger Scholarship Award Winner. Respected for her professionalism, calm demeanor, and knowledge of resources at the Scholars’ Commons reference desk, Stephanie, a former teacher, is a second-year master’s student in Library Science. Besides working the reference desk, Stephanie has interned with University Archives and worked at the Lilly Library.

IU Trident Logo
text on white background reads Student Employee Recognition Award Winners

 

Each year the Libraries honors four Student Employee Recognition Awards. The purpose of the award is to recognize exceptional employees who work for the good of the Libraries and display a combination of competence, a positive attitude, and helpfulness that is notable among their peers.

Julia McClung was nominated by Julie Marie Frye for her role as a Circulation/Shelving Assistant in the Education Library where she has worked since August 2019.

Chloe Hovind was nominated by Anna Marie Johnson for her job as a Public Services Assistant in the Scholars’ Commons since August 2018, as well as Julie Marie Frye for her jobs as an Outreach Assistant (November 2019) and a Circulation/Shelving Assistant (January 2020) for the Education Library.

Alexis Murrell has held two jobs with the Libraries since September 2019. She was nominated by Sarah Hare for her role as a Digital Publishing Assistant in Scholarly Communication.

Anya Zach was nominated by Edwin Cheek for her job as a Public Services Assistant in the Scholars’ Commons where she has worked since August 2018.

Leadership recognition in 2019

 

Sarah Carter, Art, Architecture and Design Librarian, was recognized by the American Libraries Association's Library Instruction Round Table Top Twenty. This national committee of librarians reviews scholarship related to library instruction and highlights the most significant articles published each year. Carter and her co-authors received a citation for: Crossing the studio art threshold: Information literacy and creative populations. Communications in Information Literacy, 12(1), 36–55.

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DeLoice Holliday, head of Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center Library and collection manager for African American and African Diaspora Studies (AAADS), is the winner of the 2019 Janice Wiggins Staff Mentor Award, recognizing a faculty member at IU providing superb mentoring and support to undergraduates involved with AAADS.

The National Library of Korea accepted Wen-ling Liu to participate in the 2019 Overseas Korean Studies Librarian Workshop and present information about Korean studies here at IU. Wen-ling Liu has served as Librarian for East Asian Studies since 2001 and as Librarian for East Asian and Tibetan Studies since 2012. She works closely with students and faculty members in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, Tibetan Studies in the Department of Central Eurasian Studies, and the East Asian Studies Center.

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Michael Courtney, outreach and engagement librarian, won the Division of Student Affairs Gordon Faculty Award, honoring a faculty member at IU who contributed to the division’s goals. One of 10 awards that recognize contributions of students, faculty, staff, and community partners to the Division of Student Affairs, division staff members nominate candidates for committee selection. As an active participant in the instructional initiatives of the Teaching & Learning department, Mike provides leadership and direction for librarians and graduate instruction assistants in the effective design and teaching of information literacy education.

The 2019 Judith McCulloh Award for Lifetime Service to the Field was presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Folklore Society to Moira Marsh, Indiana University Libraries collection manager and liaison librarian for Anthropology, Folklore, and Sociology. She is also manager of the Modern Language Association Folklore Bibliography Project. The AFS Executive Board bestows the McCulloh Award to recognize extraordinary contributions in service, over the course of a career, that advance the visibility and success of the American Folklore Society or the field of folklore studies.

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Willa Tavernier

Selected for a highly competitive Society for Scholarly Publishing fellowship, Willa Liburd Tavernier, visiting assistant librarian, gets the chance to develop her early career skills for an entire year within the scholarly publishing community. As Open Scholarship Resident, Willa works with staff of the Scholarly Communication Department and the IU Press to advocate for and assess the impact of policies and practices that make research, educational materials, and data, openly accessible. Willa’s current research interests are investigating the underlying theoretical basis for open scholarship, and critical information literacy.

The IU Bloomington Professional Council awarded Doug Sanders, paper conservator for IU Libraries, a professional development grant after giving a talk covering the history, manufacturing, and use of gilt leather in Japan at the International Netsuke Society Conference in Paris, France.

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Abigail Godwin

At the 2019 American Library Association Conference, Abigail Godwin, Graphic Designer, accepted a PRXchange Award for her collaborative work with the Lilly Library's Rebecca Baumann to design exhibition materials for: "Frankenstein 200: The Birth, Life, and Resurrection of Mary Shelley’s Monster.” A panel of 12 in-person and 38 virtual judges reviewed 440 entries from across the US for this annual design competition. This is the second year that IU Libraries has been recognized at the PR Xchange Awards.

After receiving a Council on Library and Information Resources grant, Theresa Quill, map and spatial data librarian, worked to digitize and publicize IU Libraries’ Russian maps collection. In May 2019, the Indiana Geographic Information Council recognized IU Libraries with an Excellence in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) award for their outstanding achievement in incorporating GIS technology into the grant project. Team members for Eastern Bloc Borderlands: Digitizing Russian Military Topographic Maps of Eastern Europe, 1883-1947, included:

Conner Capik, GIS Specialist
Michelle Dalmau, PI
Alexis Fain, Digitization Specialist
Ardasher Khashimov, Metadata Specialist
Matthew Leetz, GIS Specialist
Theresa Quill, Co-PI
Veronika Trotter, Metadata Specialist
Sarah Ward, Image and Metadata Quality Control Specialist

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Leadership recognition in 2018

 

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As the co-founder of De Pueblo A Pueblo, Luis González, librarian for Latin American, Iberian, Latino, and Chicano-Riqueño studies, received the 2018 Latino Faculty and Staff Council Distinguished Group/Program Award on behalf of the disaster relief non-profit organization based in Bloomington.

In 2018, the Central Eurasian Studies department at IU and the American University of Central Asia awarded Akram Habibulla a grant for his fieldwork in Kyrgyzstan. As the Librarian for Middle Eastern, Islamic and Central Eurasian Studies, Akram works with students and faculty in those departments as the collection manager and library liaison. He supports the research and curriculum needs of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures (NELC), Department of Central Eurasian Studies, and related academic units in the College of Arts and Sciences.

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