HSL Recognizes two staff members for exceptional contributions

The Health Sciences Library recognized the commitment and service of two staff members at its annual Awards Ceremony and Reception on April 22, 2016. Monica Samsky earned the Award for Excellence, which recognizes an exceptional contribution made in the award year, someone who, among other things, “obtains superior results by going above and beyond the call of duty.” Pam Roberts earned the Award for Dedicated Service, which recognizes consistently high quality of work ethic over a period of time, someone who, among other things, “shows exemplary dedication to and the highest possible standards of achievement or professionalism.” The ceremony featured remarks from Interim Director of the HSL Christie Degener, Sue Tolleson-Rinehart, head of the HSL Library Advisory Committee, and Carol Tresolini, vice provost for academic initiatives.

Photo of Pam Roberts (left) Christie Degener

In her remarks, Degener posed that, for some, their perception of the HSL is of the building or the available collections of information and tools. Others perceive or value the Library based on its services, such as a place to ask questions or find a guide to a set of information.  Still others perceive the library based on its web presences. But in each of these cases, the things supplied by the library require intelligent, careful and hardworking people to make the building, collections, services and websites accessible.

Degener concluded that, “The library really the staff. You make this place special.”

“The librarians are the gems and the jewels of this campus,” said Sue Tolleson-Rinehart, who serves as research associate professor of pediatrics and assistant chair for faculty development for the UNC School of Medicine; and associate director of the Health Care and Prevention MD-MPH program and adjunct associate professor of public health leadership for the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.

“Libraries are at the cutting edge of change and you deserve to be here in the center of everything that happens on the health affairs side of campus,” Tolleson-Rinehart added.

Samsky led an extensive project to clear out a section of compact shelving in the basement to make an open study space for patron use. Open study space was and is in high demand as the HSL is building a permanent home for the Carolina Health Informatics Program on its third floor, and continually rethinking the best uses of its spaces.

Photo of Christie Degener (left) and Monica Samsky

“Folks may have seen a couple of pleas to help Monica shift journals in March, immediately prior to the workmen coming to remove shelving from the basement,” one staff member said in their nomination of Samsky. “What people probably do not realize is that Monica has been working tirelessly on this shifting project for about eight months (that I’m aware).”

Additional nomination details gave a deeper glimpse into the complicated project. “Monica was asked to tackle managing the review and identification of candidates for weeding, and the shifting of volumes to empty the worn out section of shelving. This has been an enormous undertaking that required a huge amount of planning. She counted, measured, and plotted diagrams to track the journal movements and determine how much space was needed to empty one shelving section and shift remaining volumes.”

Samsky began at the HSL in February, 2001 as a library technical assistant, focused on working with print journals, and is now an electronic journals specialist. She has worked as a Librarian at Wake County Library, as a Librarian for the City of Santa Clara, Santa Clara, CA and a Librarian for the City & County of San Francisco, CA. Monica earned a Master of Library and Information Science from San Jose State University.

Pam Roberts is currently an Executive Assistant at the HSL and has had an extensive career at UNC. She began at the HSL in July 1991 as an office assistant and was promoted to an administrative secretary in 1995. After dedicating a brief period of time to the Biostatistics Department at UNC in 1997, Roberts returned to the HSL in March of 1998.

One nomination for Roberts’ said, “I have worked with Pam for many years. She is consistently a great ambassador for the HSL; [she is] professional, welcoming, knowledgeable, hardworking, and collegial. She brings sunshine and humor to a room and is up for any task, big or small.”

This nomination continued, “She is now heading up the space and facilities implementation committee and doing a great job working with library staff, vendors, contractors, facilities and design staff, as well as keeping all of us aware of what is going to happen when.”

“Pam can be approached with any question, very readily shares her experience and expertise, and encourages creative thinking,” another nomination said. “Pam really does anticipate needs, helps keep projects big and small on track, and is truly the director’s critical right hand.”