NOMINATE NOW!!!  CELEBRATE YOUR SHINING STAR!!!

2013 Outstanding Paralibrarian and Paralibrarian Advocate of the Year

by Denise Faucher and Robin Demas

                         Nominate your Outstanding Paralibrarian  and Paralibrarian Advocate for an Award.   

                         Nominate someone who carries their passion for librarianship into the community,

                                         to the regional and state level and beyond.

                         Nominate and recognize the amazing people you work with who take initiative and inspire others.

Click on the link for the forms, nomination criteria and where to submit. Deadline is March 8^th. Then come to the CELEBRATE EXCELLENCE program at the MLA Conference on April 24^th to share the excitement, and thank these amazing contributors and role models.

It’s time to Celebrate Excellence and nominate for the 2013 Outstanding Paralibrarian of the Year and Paralibrarian Advocate of the Year awards, but first……let’s look at some prior award winning shining stars in our midst:

• Geraldine (Gerry) Deyermond : 2012 Paralibrarian Advocate of the Year: Assistant Head of Circulation, Memorial Hall Library, Andover, MA. MLA Paralibrarian Section Chair; NELLS graduate; 2010 Library Journal “One To Watch”; PARA Level III.
  
  
• Laurie Christie: 2007 Outstanding Paralibrarian of the Year; Library Services, Morse Institute Library, Natick, MA. MLA Paralibrarian Section Career Development Committee.
  
  
• Barbara Diamond Goldin : 2011 Outstanding Paralibrarian of the Year; Director Edwards Public Library, Southamptom, MA; Children’s Author.
  
  
• Denise Faucher : 2006 Outstanding Paralibrarian of the Year; Director of Human Resources, Worcester Public Library, Worcester, MA; MLA Paralibrarian Section Secretary.
  
  
• Michael Colford : 2010 Paralibrarian Advocate of the Year; Director of Library Services, BPL; MLA Conference Committee Programs Chairperson and MLA Trivia/Auctioneer and Book Cart Drill Team Emcee.     

The Outstanding Paralibrarian of the Year award is given to someone in the paralibrarian ranks that consistently provides excellent service to all and often goes above and beyond the call of duty. Start thinking about the shining stars working at your libraries. Take advantage of this opportunity to publicly acknowledge a deserving paralibrarian, like Barbara, or Laurie, or Denise. Write to us about how they ignite and inspire Massachusetts’ libraries each and every day.

Submit a nomination to recognize a colleague who consistently provides service above and beyond the call of duty and is a problem solver with a can-do attitude. So many paralibrarians strive to meet high standards of service and excellence and consistently go above and beyond the limits of their job title. Many take tremendous pride in their work sometimes even carrying the passion of their job beyond the physical building into the community and beyond at the state level. These paralibrarians exemplify the ideal that true professionalism is not limited to degreed librarians.

And nominate the Paralibrarian Advocate of the Year. This honor is awarded to someone who understands the value of paralibrarians in our libraries. The Advocate can be a degreed librarian or paralibrarian colleague, director, or supervisor - - anyone who has demonstrated outstanding support for paralibrarians working in our libraries today. Like Gerry or Michael.

Think about that shining star working next to you. You can provide a meaningful tribute to them by sending in a nomination for one of these notable awards today!

The deadline for submissions for both awards is Friday, March 8, 2013.

Check out http://mlaparalibrarian.wordpress.com for more information about the paralibrarian section of MLA!