Mahmoud Moulay, Paul Joseph and Rod McFarland were this year’s recipients of the UBC Library Staff Awards. The awards program was developed to acknowledge the many ways in which staff contribute to UBC Library through creativity, innovation, excellence, and customer service.
Mahmoud Moulay (Facilities Assistant), recipient of the Unsung Hero Award, was nominated multiple times, and each nominator mentioned his diligence and the way he approaches every new request with a smile. His willingness to help and selflessness proved invaluable during the collections moves and office moves taking place within the Library over the past year. He is a valued team member, and his friendly dedicated work ethic exemplifies what it means to be part of an exceptional workplace. From Mahmoud: “Thank you to everyone in the Library, especially Richard Moore, and Darrell Bailie who first hired me ten years ago. I have so much fun with everyone at all the different branches – thank you for all the jobs, because it keeps me working at the Library!”
Paul Joseph (Systems Librarian), as recipient of the Innovation Award, has been instrumental in initiating and implementing a variety of new services and tools for the Library, our users and our staff. Paul notes: “To be an innovator an individual requires vision, creativity, leadership skills, and an ability to take risks and learn from mistakes. To be truly innovative and successful, that individual needs to be well-resourced and work within a dynamic team environment. With that said, I’d like to thank all of my dedicated and hard-working colleagues.”
Rod McFarland (Programmer Analyst), recipient of the Employee Excellence Award, was nominated for consistently performing outstanding work for the Library, providing a strong technology backbone that underlies many critical services. The nominator highlighted his exceptional customer service and tireless efforts to ensure systems run smoothly, minimizing disruptions and enhancing the value of the Library for our users. Rod is a great asset both as a team member and as an employee of the Library, and is humble and kind in all of his interactions. From Rod: “ ‘Love your work and you’ll never work a day in your life.’ Thanks for the nomination, and thanks to all my excellent coworkers in LSIT and Digital Initiatives for their support and the many opportunities to work on exciting and challenging projects.”