THE 2000 ULA AWARD WINNERS
GET YOUR TICKETS EARLY FOR THE AWARDS BANQUET TO BE HELD
THURSDAY, MAY 18 AT THE OGDEN MARRIOTT HOTEL
Utah Governor Mike Leavitt and his wife Jacalyn have been selected to
receive the Utah Library Association's 1999-2000 Promotion of Reading Award.
The Leavitt's are the first to be recognized for their efforts to improve
literacy skills among Utah children. They have worked to promote family
literacy, to acquire new materials for school libraries, and to obtain
additional funds to improve the reading ability of Utah's children
ULA DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
This is the Association's most prestigious award, presented to
persons who have sustained achievements of the highest caliber for several
years.
Director of Libraries, Utah State University
Max Peterson has developed and sustained a sterling record of leadership,
achievement, vision, and most importantly, service to the library profession,
community, and state for nearly 36 years. A hallmark of Mr. Peterson's career
and legacy is his remarkable ability to empower individuals. The net result of
this unique leadership quality is that he has provided literally hundreds of
individuals the opportunity to grow, develop, contribute, and gain recognition
in areas that have benefitted personal and professional lives, the library
profession, and society. One of his colleagues recently wrote, "Just as
important as everything Max does is how he does it. He recognizes the worth of
every individual; he stresses commitment to service in every employee;
students, colleagues, staff, and community all are treated with great warmth
and respect by Max. With his staff he is quick to note talents and aptitudes,
and he makes sure that those qualities are allowed to grow and be cultivated.
The result is a staff that is committed to programs because they are personally
involved in them from the start. The loyalty that Max inspires in staff
translates into commitment and energy." Max Peterson's leadership,
commitment to service, and genuine value placed on individual worth and
participation can be transferred to his association with innumerable
individuals, areas of interest, and projects. He began as a cataloger and
advanced to Head of Circulation Services, then to Associate Director, and
finally to Director of Library and Information Services. Since 1981 Max has
been a member of the governing board of the Utah Academic Library Consortium
(UALC) and twice served as the Chair. He was the leading force in organizing
and bringing to the state a Utah Chapter of the Association of College and
Research Libraries and has been a strong supporter of ULA. Mr. Peterson was one
of the chief investigators in a Kellogg Foundation Grant that funded history
graduate students in collecting oral histories from older communities. Scholars
world-wide visit and use the Folklore Program and Collection/Archive that he
was instrumental in establishing. Max has done more locally to popularize
Cowboy Poetry and Song than anyone else and has brought it to the forefront of
academics and made it a viable part of scholarly research. He was responsible
for the "Building Program" of the Cazier Science and Technology
Library, as he was involved at the grass-roots level with the National
Agricultural Library in establishing the western and northwest regions in the
National Agricultural Lending Cooperative. Max has served as chair for the
Governor's Library Speak Out for various counties, chair of the State Library
plan for Utah, and served on the Board of Directors for the Utah Bicentennial
Foundation. As Max Peterson has continued to value cultural diversity and to
serve community seniors with a "Summer Seniors Libraries Program,"
and to serve as a master teacher in Political Science, History, Folklore, and
Library Instruction classes, his service to his community has been an ongoing
value especially to the blind. Max Peterson has announced his intention to
retire from Utah State University. He leaves each of us a permanent legacy of
high standards, unconditional interest, and commitment to provide quality
library services, information and learning resources, lifelong learning
opportunities to all, and selfless leadership.
LIBRARIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
Librarians who receive this award have outstanding achievements in a
library, media center, or in library science education.
Director, American Fork Library
Christie Reimschussel is a "marathon Librarian". She, like a
runner, suffered all the elements, yet continued to leap forward even during
her most exhausted moments. Christie was determined to build the American Fork
Library. She never gave up and always pulled others along with her when some
were ready to give up the race. Christie remained positive and instilled in
others a continuous, courageous positive attitude that healed the wounds of
their battles and completed the library vision that she saw better than anyone.
Architect David Hart tells about how he first met Christie in the summer of
1996, He and his partner, Barry Smith, visited Christie to check out the plans
for a new library. "There was Christie working away in an office that had
no air conditioning, heating, or windows. It was space that was originally part
of the exterior of the library and now converted to the Director's office or
"freezer" as I called it. Christie's passive comment was that it gets
a little cold, but it's not bad. After all, she loves what she was doing and
didn't mind the conditions." Christie's challenges continued because the
old library was to be demolished, Christie moved staff and collection into an
old warehouse abandoned by the school board. Again, with no air conditioning
and little heat, Christie, with her positive assurance, guided her staff into
transforming the warehouse into a fully functional library wonder space.
Christie is a champion. She never showed her frustration or exhaustion. She ran
through all kinds of "weather" and maintained her composure, never
giving up she used her intelligence to simultaneously support her staff, the
city council, and the mayor; although, there were times when they did not
support her. She endured a very difficult political environment and continued
to smile. American Fork now has beautiful new library, and Christie
Reimschussel was and is their outstanding leader.
SPECIAL SERVICES TO LIBRARIES AWARD
This award honors individuals, library staffs, committees, library boards,
other similar groups, or individuals who have made significant contributions in
support of libraries or library service. Qualifying accomplishments may
represent a sustained contribution over several years, or a notable effort over
a shorter period of time.
Chip Ward and Jimmy Parker
Development Services Manager, Utah State Library Division
Chip Ward is a highly regarded member of the Utah Library Association. First
as a bookmobile driver, now as Development Services Manager for the Utah State
Library Division, working to make a personal and professional difference in
communities, Chip has translated his personal goals into action by helping
colleagues and patrons use libraries to participate in the democratic process
and enrich their lives. He has also devoted his boundless personal energies for
many years to critically important environmental issues in our West Desert
neighborhoods. Now, to further this important cause, he has written a highly
acclaimed book. Chip Ward wrote Canaries on the Rim: Living Downwind in the
West because he said the story had to be told. Try as he did to persuade
another writer to expose these injustices, he was not thwarted when that fell
through. The book has received accolades for its importance and honesty. True
kudos for a writer who modestly says that he is not one! He came to one of the
planet's most unforgiving deserts, the flat salt pans west of Salt Lake City to
drive a bookmobile and emerged years later as a spokesman for that forbidding
landscape which he calls a repository of decaying plutonium, retired
biochemical weapons, and other manifestations of "ecocidal schemes"
of big business and government. Terry Tempest Williams, author of Refuge: An
Unnatural History of Family and Place wrote: The Great Basin is military
terrain: testing ground for bombs; burial ground for obsolete weapons;
laboratory for biological and chemical warfare. Chip Ward blows it all up as he
exposes the dark secrets and mythology maintained in the name of "national
security." He is a local hero who has found his greatest defense for the
landscape he loves in his pen. This local history becomes a document of deceit.
Canaries on the Rim is a deeply patriotic book. Chip Ward touches all of us
with his commitment to quality of life–a passion shared by librarians who
are dedicated to improving the lives of customers seeking information. It is
his stewardship and sense of responsibility that exemplifies leadership with
compassion.
Library Manager and Special Projects Manager,
Family History Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints
For over thirty-six years Jimmy Parker has been a dynamic visionary and
helped secure and maintain international recognition in genealogy. Jimmy's
leadership early in the Family History Library's acquisition program and later
as a writer and as manager of the library helped secure and maintain the
library's enviable role in genealogy. As library manager, he directed a staff
of 600 and monitored a collection of more than three million books, microfilm,
and microfiche. He showed great compassion for his fellow workers while
expecting strong work commitments. He was known for being diligent and
thorough. Jimmy has had a unique ability to bring both LDS Church members and
those of other faiths together in the cause of family history. He has always
shared his great love for genealogy. Jimmy Parker has keen understanding,
direction, and knowledge as he made resources available to family historians
everywhere. The number of family history centers steadily increased to over
3,000 world-wide, and Family-Search Internet Genealogy Service is available in
homes, public libraries, and various repositories. He has played many roles:
Special Projects Manager, Library Manager, Correspondence Unit Supervisor,
Editor, Administrative Assistant, Publication Coordinator, Accreditation
Coordinator, Researcher, Evaluator, and Records Negotiator. His early career as
school teacher laid the foundation for his contributions, including writing
numerous notable articles while lecturing around the country. He has served as
officer of many organizations for archival circles, genealogical groups,
American Indian associations, and government officials. An Accredited
Researcher, with additional skills in Canadian and American Indian studies, he
has the reputation of being one of America's best. Jimmy Parker retired from
the Family History Department of the LDS church after more than thirty-six
years of dedication to his love for genealogy. In retirement he will pursue his
most monumental task–to study the tree of his fourteen children.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD
ULA Executive Secretary/Treasurer
Chris Anderson has been a friend and esteemed colleague to all of us. Over
the past nine years he has served as the Secretary/ Treasurer for ULA and has
often gone beyond the call of duty. He was successful in changing our financial
ink from red to black as he worked tirelessly, often without remuneration.
Chris has been the one stable person we always turned to when we had a question
that no one seemed to be able to answer. Through his efforts ULA gained
nonprofit tax exempt status with the IRS. His impressive financial management
and his knowledge of tax law and investments have made ULA the type of
organization that could donate money to support state funding of library
buildings. An interesting story follows Chris Anderson: ULA had been in dire
financial straits for several years. When he took over the reins of the
association, all of the financial information was handed to him in a shopping
bag–literally–and completely disorganized. Over the next nine years
he brought financial stability to the organization that not only made us
solvent but allowed the association to move ahead and support many new
programs. Chris is a person of tremendous personal integrity. Those who have
worked with him have felt complete trust in the way he has handled the money.
He has provided a kind of continuity that an association of revolving officers
always needs. Very often Chris has been called upon for advice. He has never
let us down–always tirelessly giving of his time and effort for the
benefit of his fellow librarians.
ULA AWARDS COMMITTEE
Ron Gabriel (Chair), Salt Lake County Library System
Jim Bernini, Granite School District, Salt Lake County Library System
Kent Dean, Salt Lake County Library System
Sue Hill, Brigham City Public Library
Pat Montgomery, Utah State Library Division
Tom Wright, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University
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