2023 Winner - Hannah Davis
Hannah Davis is the Preservation Librarian in the Special Collections & Archives (SCA) division. She received her BA in Music and MS of Library and Information Studies from Florida State University. In this position, she directs the preservation, collections management, and disaster recovery efforts for the division; plans and coordinates complex collections moves; participates in the SCA instruction program; and provides reference support to FSU’s diverse researchers. In addition to these duties, Hannah acts as the technical lead for the ArchivesSpace finding aid database, and provides training and support to archives repositories at FSU. Hannah is a member of several FSU Libraries committees and has served as chair of multiple Faculty Assembly committees. She is also an active member in the Society of Florida Archivists, where she was recently elected as Director and has served on the SFA Journal Editorial Board since 2017. Hannah has also enjoyed previous service appointments with the SAA Preservation Section, the Eastern Academic Scholars’ Trust Special Collections Working Group, and the Leon County LeRoy Collins Public Library Advisory Board.
In her free time, Hannah enjoys growing hot peppers in her backyard, practicing nail art, and DJing at WVFS Tallahassee.
2022 Co-Winner - Kyung Kim
Kyung Kim is a Social Sciences Librarian and a liaison to Communication, Communication Science and Disorders, Hospitality, Public Health, and urban & Regional Planning. She is a member of the Doctoral Support Special Interest Group at the Libraries that organizes dissertation boot camps and writing retreats. She is also co-leading the International Scholars Special Interest Group which produces a welcome video for new international students. She is Chair of the Electronic Resources in Communication Studies Committee, and national committee of the ACRL (Association of College & Research Libraries).
Dr. Kim earned her Ph.D. in Library & Information Science at Rutgers University. Before joining the FSU Libraries, she worked as a medical librarian then taught at the school of Information for nine years. Her research interested include health information behaviors, innovative information services or faculty as graduate students, digital technology applications in library services, and the future of academic libraries.
She loves traveling with her family, and dark chocolate is her soul food.
2022 Co-Winner - Martin Wood
Martin Wood is the Director of the Charlotte Edwards Maguire Medical Library, a born-digital library that focuses on providing electronic resources and digital services to the medical community of Florida State University. The medical library supports the mission of the FSU College of Medicine with active roles in medical, physician assistant, biomedical sciences, and interdisciplinary medical sciences academic programs. Martin has also positioned the medical library to support research activities of College of Medicine students, residents, and faculty, as well as provide professional development opportunities and informatics education at FSU College of Medicine campuses and affiliated sites throughout the state of Florida. In addition to his roles as director and faculty medical librarian, Martin also teaches in the Year 1 MD curriculum and serves as course director for the Year 4 MD Residency Preparation Boot Camp. Martin holds multiple degrees, including a BS in Mass Communications, the MSLIS in Library and Information Studies, a MS in Sociology, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Education, all from Florida State University. His research focuses on patient perspectives in medicine, including patient education and issues associated with access to care. Martin is an avid road cyclist, baseball fan, video gamer, and, like any good librarian, likes to read. His current favorite fiction authors are Blake Crouch and Seanan McGuire, but there is always room for one more.
2021 Co-Winner - Lindsey Wharton
Lindsey Wharton is the Extended Campus & Distance Services Librarian at Florida State University Libraries. In that role, she is responsible for ensuring equitable access to library resources and services for the distance learning community as well as students, faculty, and staff at FSU’s extended campuses. Lindsey leads library integrations within the learning management system, coordinates the eTextbook program, and serves as the liaison to the College of Social Work, Office of Distance Learning, and International Programs. Before coming to FSU, Lindsey served as the Assistant Director of the Florida Keys Community College Library. Her research focuses on student success and textbook affordability, online learning, and digital pedagogy.
In her spare time, Lindsey likes to read, swim, drink wine, and spend time at the beach, not necessarily in that order.
2021 Co-Winner - Devin Soper
Devin Soper is the Director of the Office of Digital Research & Scholarship at Florida State University Libraries. In that role, he oversees several initiatives related to academic publishing, digital humanities projects and pedagogy, and digital cultural heritage technologies. Devin came to FSU from the University of British Columbia, where he served both as an Intellectual Property & Copyright Librarian and as Managing Librarian of the Chapman Learning Commons. Devin has an MA in English Literature and Theory from the University of Victoria, Canada, and an MLIS from the University of British Columbia. His research focuses on the intersections of copyright and digital publishing in higher education, with an emphasis on open access and open educational resources.
In his spare time, Devin likes to read, hike, and paint miniatures.
2020 Winner - Roy Ziegler
Roy Ziegler holds a BA in Religion and philosophy from Missouri Valley college, an MA in English from Central Missouri State University (now University of Central Missouri) and an MA in Library Science from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Roy joined FSU in 2001 as the Head of Collection Development and has held numerous positions since. In 2006 he became the Associate Director for Collection Development and in 2014 his responsibilities increased again when he became Associate Dean for Collections and Access, a position that he held until 2019. In July of that year, he moved to a part-time position working with Dean Etschmaier to support the Library Advancement Board and other special initiatives. He also held professional positions at Southeast Missouri State University (1990-1999) and Middle Tennessee State University (1999-2001).
Roy’s driving passion throughout his career has been to provide as much access to curricular and research materials as possible, be it owned, leased, or shared. He has also been a conscientious steward of institutional and state budget allocations. By being efficient and seeking innovative solutions to maximize assets, there is always a way to find a way forward that will have greater lasting impact. His service over the years on local, state, and regional committees has been a great benefit to the students and faculty of FSU as well as those individuals at consortia institutions.
2019 Winner - Laura Gayle Green
Laura Gayle Green holds degrees from Ashland College (B. music, piano), the University of Virginia (M.A., musicology), and Indiana University (M.L.S. with an emphasis in music librarianship). She became Head of the Warren D. Allen Music Library at Florida State University in July 2012. Previous positions include Director, Music/Media Library at the University of Missouri—Kansas City (UMKC, 1993-2012) with an appointment as Adjunct Associate Professor in the Conservatory of Music and Dance, and Visiting Assistant Librarian, Music Cataloger at Indiana University (1990-1993). Ms. Green has been published in Cataloging and Classification Quarterly and Music Reference Services Quarterly, and has invited articles in Women and Music in America Since 1900 (Oryx Press 2002). She has been a speaker and panelist at the Appalachian Studies Association, Music Library Association (MLA), Music Library Association Midwest Chapter, American Musicological Association, Society for American Music, and Innovative Users Group meetings. Ms. Green has served as Convention Manager, Assistant Convention Manager, Treasurer/Executive Secretary, Program Chair, and Co-Chair Local Arrangements Committee for MLA. Ms. Green serves on the advisory board for Naxos Music Library and is on the editorial board for College Music Symposium.
2018 Winner - Kirsten Kinsley
Kirsten Kinsley is an Assessment Librarian at the Florida State University Libraries and a co-liaison with the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Department of Psychology and the College of Social Work. Kirsten completed her Master of Science in Library and Information Studies in 1999 and received a Master of Science and Specialist in Education degrees in Counseling and Human Systems in 1995 from the Florida State University. In 1989, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with Honors. Ms. Kinsley previously worked for the FSU Career Center Library and Law Research Center and has been working in libraries on campus in various capacities since 1991. Kirsten seeks to foster and measure how the library through campus collaborations can contribute to student and faculty success. Kirsten grew up in Boca Raton, FL and has lived in Tallahassee since 1989. She's mom to two humans, Alex (18) and Cole (15), two cats and an Australian Shepard. She loves to cycle, swim, and run. St. Marks is one of her favorite "hang-outs."
2017 Winner - Krystal Thomas
Krystal Thomas is the Digital Archivist at Strozier Library under Special Collections & Archives and has been a member of the faculty since 2012. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English and Women’s Studies from Gettysburg College and her Master of Science in Information from the University of Michigan with a concentration in Archives and Records Management. She was active in the development and migration into the FSU Digital Library, now a part of the FSU Digital Repository, and works as one of its primary managers. She also continues to participate in the FL-Islandora development project, both at FSU and on statewide committees. Her day to day work is a mix of digital project creation and management, born-digital and digital preservation tasks, supervision of the Digital Library Center and acting as a consultant for digital archiving projects on campus. She also acts as the digital library liaison for the Music Library and the Institute on World War II and the Human Experience as well as coordinating with other faculty completing digital projects using the FSU Digital Library. She serves on several Library committees and is getting ready to finish up her term as Chair of the Library Faculty Assembly this spring. Outside of work, Krystal is an avid bookworm, tea drinker and Disney geek. She enjoys volunteering at the Tallahassee-Leon Community Animal Service Center on the weekends and serving as an officer for her P.E.O. chapter.
2016 Winner - Bridgett Birmingham
Bridgett Birmingham (MLIS, ‘04) is currently the Diversity and Inclusion Librarian at Florida State University Libraries and also the Director of the Florida State University Civil Rights Institute. She is interested in equity and inclusion and the intersectional identities of library patrons and how those identities shape information seeking and discovery. Prior to her current role, Bridgett Birmingham served for many years as the Director for Undergraduate Services at FSU Libraries where she led a team focused on the changing information needs of undergraduate students in an information-rich society. She has also served nationally as a mentor to early career librarians from under-represented groups. She has been a member of the American Libraries Association since 2004 and has served in numerous roles for the organization. In addition to her role as a faculty member and librarian, Bridgett Birmingham enjoys spending time with her husband, Charles, and children, Amelia and Charlie Birmingham.
2015 Winners - Rachel Besara and Micah Vandergrift
Rachel Besara is the Director of STEM Libraries and Research Initiatives at Florida State University. In this capacity she oversees both the Dirac Science Library and the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Library, leading the development of library services and spaces that meet the need of the 21st century STEM research community. Previous to this position, Rachel was a founding member of the University Libraries’ Assessment Department, one of the first such departments in the nation. The projects done during her time in the assessment department shaped the experiences of all of those using the libraries’ virtual presence, the Scholars Commons, Dirac Science Library, and UBorrow users statewide. Rachel is professionally involved at both the local and national level. At University Libraries, she has chaired the Faculty Assembly (2012-2013), the Bylaws Committee (2013-2014), and numerous search committees. She has also served on committees, such as the Content Advisory Committee, Balanced Scorecard Development Team, and the Website Redesign Team. Nationally, Rachel has served on and chaired numerous committees. Her most notable national service was as chair of the Library Leadership and Management Association’s Measurement, Assessment, and Evaluation Section (LLAMA MAES) from 2012-2013 and as a member of the Association of Research Libraries’ Library Assessment Conference Planning Committee (2013-2014). She is also very active in the library scholarly community, with more than 50 invited or refereed presentations and numerous publications.
Micah Vandegrift, a native of Melbourne, Florida, first came to Florida State University as an undergraduate student in 2003. Intending to focus on the Renaissance, he was instead captivated by ethnomusicology, and his humanities major focused on twentieth century American subcultural music. A master’s thesis on Gainesville, Florida’s music scene as a response to the national post-punk subculture and an MA in American and Florida Studies followed. Shifting gears, Micah completed a Masters in Library and Information Studies at FSU, and then joined the staff of the University Libraries. He is the University Libraries first Digital Scholarship Coordinator, overseeing the development of new services and support for research and scholarship using digital tools or methods. He also serves as Chair of University Libraries Copyright Committee, liaison to the Library Publishing Coalition and the Coalition of Open Access Policy Institutions, and editorial board member for the Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication. Also active in the digital humanities, Micah is a member of a campus-wide Digital Scholars Discussion Group—exploring the digital humanities, instructional technologies, and digital scholarship—and is a member of the first THATCamp Council, which conceived of the user-created unconference model in the humanities and technology fields. Micah speaks and writes about open access, digital humanities and the evolution of the research library.
2014 Winner - Burton Henry Altman
Burton Altman, University Librarian in the Division of Special Collections and Archives, received his M.S.L.S. from Long Island University in 1974. He is a long-time member of the Society of American Archivists’ Congressional Papers Roundtable, the Society of Florida Archivists and was also a member of the North Florida Library Association. Altman has 34 years of professional experience in academic libraries, including the Long Island University School of Library Science and Florida State University. He has published articles in several professional archives journals, and given numerous presentations at conferences. In 1981, Altman came to the University Libraries Special Collections as the archivist of the Claude Pepper Library, and has increased the visibility of the Claude Pepper Library and the University Libraries through his work with the Kettering Foundation. He was the University Libraries Faculty Senator, representative to the University Curriculum Committee, and participated in the Disaster Plan Working Group, Faculty Assembly, and Awards Committee. Altman has been an active member of the Society of Florida Archivists (SFA). Altman served as a director on the SFA executive board, editor of its newsletter for over ten years, and served as SFA President and Vice President. He currently manages the SFA Web Communications team. Altman has always been a mentor to new and experienced archivists and special collections librarians.
2013 Winner - Barbara Shearer
Barbara Shearer is the founding director of the Charlotte Edwards Maguire Medical Library. The Maguire Medical Library is the first academic medical library established as a 21st century electronic library and has been a trailblazer for other "born digital" libraries. The library continues to explore innovative ways to support the educational and research missions of the College of Medicine, including the use of mobile technology to deliver evidence-based medical information to students and faculty located throughout Florida. Barbara graduated from University of Illinois with a B.S. in Communication and Masters in Library Science. Barbara is the active chair of the Library and Learning Resource Committee and has served as chair for the Florida Collaboration of Academic Libraries of Medicine, Consortium of Southern Biomedical Libraries and the Florida Consumer Health Information Network. Her memberships include the Florida Health Sciences Library Association, Medical Library Association, and Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries. Her interests include academic digital libraries, patient-centered librarianship, and enhancing the Medical Library experience.
2012 Winner - Gloria Colvin
Gloria Colvin is a research librarian in the Scholars Commons in Strozier Library and serves as the liaison to the College of Education. She graduated from Duke University with a B.A. in English and art history and completed a Master of Arts in Teaching at Duke and a Masters in Library Science at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Gloria has been a member of the FSU Libraries faculty since 2001. Prior to that, she was a reference librarian at Duke University, Cedar Crest College, and the State Library and Archives of Florida. Earlier in her career, she worked as a newspaper librarian at the Durham (N.C.) Herald-Sun Newspapers and as an English and Social Studies teacher in the N.C. public schools. Her interests include copyright, scholarly communication, outreach to faculty, students, and staff in a higher education setting, and the changing roles of libraries. Gloria is an active member of the American Library Association, the Association of College and Research Libraries, the Florida Association of College and Research Libraries, and the Florida Library Association.She is a past president of the Florida Library Association. She chairs the Florida Book Awards Executive Board and helps to coordinate that awards program.