When Ingrid Parent first started as University Librarian at UBC, one of her goals was to establish a staff recognition program at the Library. In 2012, that goal came to fruition with the launch of the Library Staff Awards Program, designed to acknowledge the many ways in which staff contribute to their workplace through creativity, innovation, excellence and customer service.
The program is a way of applauding employees and a tribute to those who serve the Library and UBC; it also helps support the Library’s aim of fostering an exceptional workplace by honouring and recognizing the talent and contributions of its employees.
“Every day at UBC, the work that staff does contributes to making the University a world-leading research and academic institution, as well as a great place to work,” says Alex Bayne, Director, HR Integrated Strategies. “Acknowledging the contribution of our colleagues through small gestures or through formal recognition goes a long way towards creating a caring and respectful workplace.”
Winners of the Library’s inaugural staff awards program, left to right: Anne Miele, Ernie Dick and Paul Lesack.
Paul Lesack, recipient of the inaugural Innovation Award and a Data/GIS Analyst at Koerner Library, was nominated for a collaborative project that uses emerging technologies to develop a new service for UBC students and the broader community. Working with the Vancouver Aquarium, he scanned old paper maps into interactive versions with geographic data. The project began as an effort to help geography students, but has also been used to assist scientists and city planners. By turning this resource into an interactive tool, Paul also addressed issues of sustainability and collections preservation.
The Library’s first Unsung Hero Award was presented to Ernie Dick, whom co-workers highlighted as someone with a phenomenal memory for procedures, work processes and people. Dick, a Library Assistant at the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, received multiple nominations that described him as an invaluable team member and a pillar of the Library.
Anne Miele, recipient of the Employee Excellence Award, was described as someone who goes the extra mile for Library patrons and her team members. Her nominator expressed appreciation for the positive energy and sense of humour that she brings to the workplace. “I work with a great group of folks who are all very supportive of me and each other,” said Miele, a Reference Assistant with Woodward Library, when she received the award. “These awards show commitment to the Library and University, and that the worth of our work is valued by all.”
“Publicly acknowledging the dedication and hard work of deserving employees brings with it many benefits,” adds Keith Kawa, Director of Human Resources for UBC Library. “However, recognizing the contributions of employees on an everyday, informal basis is, in my opinion, even more important. Feeling valued by their supervisor in the workplace is central to high employee motivation and positive morale.”
Read more from UBC Library’s Community Report (2013).