Left to right: Dr. Susan E. Parker, Taran Dhillon, Rochelle Mazar, Brett Dimond, Sloan Garrett
UBC Library is pleased to announce that Rochelle Mazar, Sloan Garrett, Brett Dimond and Taran Dhillon are the 2023 recipients of UBC Library Awards. Each year, the Library Awards Program shines a light on faculty and staff who have demonstrated exceptional creativity, innovation, leadership, excellence and a dedication to customer service through their work.
The awards were presented during the 2023 UBC Library Summer Recognition Awards Ceremony, held on Wednesday, June 21, 2022.
Congratulations to Rochelle, Sloan, Brett and Taran, and thank you to everyone who participated by submitting nominations.
Employee Excellence Award – Rochelle Mazar
Rochelle Mazar (Assistant Director, Irving K. Barber Learning Centre) is the winner of the 2023 UBC Library Employee Excellence Award, which recognizes Library staff who consistently demonstrate their commitment to making an impact on the Library and making it a better workplace for all, through living our values and behaviors. Their kindness, compassion and respect for those above and below make them eagerly sought after as project team members or leaders.
Leading by example, Rochelle has made a lasting impact as the Assistant Director at IKBLC, former Acting Head at the Education Library and current Acting Head at X̱wi7x̱wa Library. She embodies the library’s core values by maintaining a positive and inclusive community that is founded on appreciation, recognition, learning and professional growth.
Unsung Hero Awards – Sloan Garrett and Brett Dimond
Sloan Garrett (Library Administrative Assistant, Library Administration) and Brett Dimond (Program Assistant, Research Commons) are the winners of the 2023 UBC Library Unsung Hero Award, which recognizes Library staff or teams who keep the library branches running, delivering its services, collections and operations. Their efforts help UBC Library to effectively deliver the stellar service that users have come to expect.
Sloan brings exceptional organization skills, a sharp eye for detail and readiness to help others at the library. He continues to be a knowledgeable presence and a steady source of support, ensuring that day-to-day logistics run seamlessly while offering timely and proactive suggestions to guide his colleagues and improve processes.
Behind the scenes, Brett demonstrates a high level of dedication and a strong appetite for learning. He has been critical to the success of the LibInsights platform, all while bringing the same degree of care and curiosity to the rest of his work. Brett is also being commended for his communication and attention to equity and diversity.
Innovation Award – Taran Dhillon
Taran Dhillon (Public Services & Collections Management Assistant, Asian Library) is the winner of the 2023 UBC Library Innovation Award, which recognizes Library staff who have demonstrated new ways of performing existing processes or has introduced a new library service or program that is beneficial to Library staff and/or users.
Recognized for his creativity, Taran has been a source of thoughtful, respectful and inclusive insight. He consistently offers new ideas to meetings and has brought numerous library projects to life—from celebrating various cultural traditions through arts and crafts sessions, to initiating a Re-Use It initiative and a healthy workplace program.