are from already scheduled employee recognition programs. See what seeds are being planted across the country because of NLWD and which ones have already taken root and are blooming. There will be no mention of those that have withered away due to lack of funding.
AL—Terrific Tigers are recognized regularly at the Auburn University Libraries. Staff whose good deeds have been noted by colleagues are given a certificate and listed in the monthly newsletter. has a Kudos Box. Auburn Libraries also has an Employee of the Year Award and staff and patrons are encouraged to submit nominations.
CA—The Santa Ana Public Library is having a luncheon for all employees on April 20th, and each will also receive two movie tickets. Jeanette Pham declared, "Supervisors depend on their frontline employees—they are the heart and soul of the library."
CO—Auraria Library at the University of Colorado has instituted the elusive "day off" for faculty and support staff who have reached a milestone of service—5, 10, 15 years. Awards are given for Outstanding Librarianship ($1500), Outstanding Service ($500), and Outstanding Research/Creative Activity ($500), which mean even more when there are no merit increases. The recipient’s dossiers are then forwarded to the University for consideration in the University-wide awards. Assistant Director Teri Switzer and her co-Assistant Director, "always send birthday cards to all staff—and tell them we are happy they are part of the Auraria Library community."
GA—The University of Georgia began its library staff recognition program in 1992. It’s called the ASSET Awards Program (Acknowledging Staff, Skills, Effort and Time). It is designed to provide recognition for the outstanding contributions that are made in the Libraries each year. A committee organizes the program and self-nominations are allowed.
MD—At the University of Maryland, there are three types of nominations for its staff awards: peer, special projects, and outstanding employee/graduate assistant/student assistant! The awards, including monetary compensation, are given twice a year, fall and spring semesters.
NC—At the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Libraries, they go beyond retirement and birthday parties. The system hosts a number of annual staff recognition events including The Outstanding Employee Awards, an All Staff Barbecue, student appreciation luncheon, Quarterly all staff coffee breaks to introduce new staff, and "The Star Heel Awards—a University sponsored program which gives each department a number of awards to give out each year (depending on the # of FTE). These awards are given for any type of "work" appreciation and includes a $20 gift certificate and a citation in the employee newspaper. Most events are planned and managed by the Employee Appreciation and Recognition Committee; and the Star Heels Awards are managed by the Library Personnel Office."
ND—Mary E. Fischer, Director of the Valley City/Barnes County Public Library (ND), wrote a poem honoring her workers and gave all of her staff and volunteers bookmarks and pins.
Library Workers:
You are the Best!
With your spirit and your knowledge,
We are extremely blessed!
Your service is our value,
Your smile speaks our worth.
You give your all,
Then give some more;
We’re pleased you work for us.
With heartfelt thanks & well-earned praise from
Library Patrons, Community leaders,
Friends & Board Members
Library Director, Mary E. Fischer
OH—Cleveland Public Library may be celebrating in a different way. SEIU District 1199 here at Cleveland Public Library may be ON STRIKE on April 20th! The strike deadline is April 20th and includes librarians, custodians, clerks and carpenters. Reports can be found on the Cleveland Plain Dealer Web Site. This comes despite the recent passing of local levies in support of the library system.
VA—The University of Virginia offers a host of recognition programs campus wide. One is the Outstanding Library Contributors Award for employees (individuals or teams) who have contributed the most to the accomplishment of the goals of the University Library over the last 12 months. The program encourages employee performance improvements and gives management the flexibility to reward performance at any time. Nominations are sent to Library Human Resources and the department heads of those employees nominated. The University Librarian and Associate University Librarians decide who the "winners" are based upon the nominations submitted. The amount or award type that is given each year varies with the dollar amount budgeted. The names of those selected for this honor, as well as a brief narrative of their accomplishment(s), are read by the Librarian at the annual Employee Appreciation Luncheon held each April.
Also, see Elisa F. Topper’s article, "Saying "Thank You"—Part Two in American Libraries 35, no.r 4 (Apr. 2004): 94 for additional ideas and resources.
Here are some issues to consider when planning an employee recognition program: forming committees, funding for programs and awards, budgeting for longevity of the program, criteria definition, inclusiveness, partnering with larger organizational bodies, frequency, and potential for bias in nominations. Thank you to all the members of PERSN-L electronic discussion list who contributed to this article.
Copyright 2004–2008 ALA-APA. Contact Jenifer Grady, 50 E. Huron, Chicago, IL 60611, 312-280-2424, jgrady@ala.org for more information.
