Birmingham Public Library 2018 Staff Award Winners

Birmingham Public Library (BPL) Executive Director Floyd Council awarded the inaugural BPL Staff Awards to several employees, as well as Best All Around Library and Best Branded Program of the Year during the 2018 BPL Staff Day held Thursday, October 18, at the Central Library.

The honors were presented to BPL employees who go above and beyond in serving the public, as well as the best community program and best library locations. The winners were as follows:

Best All Around Library – Five Points West Regional Branch Library

This award is to a library location that demonstrates exceptional all-around public service, community engagement, programs and sustainable partnerships.

BPL Career Service Award – Sandra “Sandi” Vick Lee, BPL Deputy Director

This award is for exemplary service and impact for 20 plus years in a leadership role.

Heritage Preservation Award – Paul Boncella, Central Library, Southern History Department

This award is for substantial archival and preservation work that sustains BPL heritage.

Project Manager of the Year – Melvia Walton, interim director of Community Engagement

This award is for the best project management of special events, system-wide initiative.

Passion for Professional Award – Shawn Caddell of Eastwood Library

This award is for demonstration of exceptional passion for public service, lifelong learning, and professional development.

Other BPL Awards presented, but not pictured, are below:

Amazing Spirit Award – Mary Little, Administrative Assistant to the Executive Director

This award is for excellence in customer service, administrative support, and interpersonal communication.

Best Branded Program – Bards & Brews

This award is for best community program that produces exceptional branding for the library system.

Horizon Award – Tobin Cataldo, Coordinator of Collection Management 

This award is for 21st century technology, innovation, and strategic leadership.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Award – Samuel Rumore of Springville Road Library

This award is for excellence in programming, conference presentation, or outreach to the LGBTQ and underserved communities.

 Sunshine Award – Central East Library

This award is for excellence in group project management, re-imagined space teamwork, or advancement of library user experience.

Change Agent Award – Edith Major, BPL Personnel Officer

This award is for demonstration of multifaceted balance and contribution to stability in a culture of organizational change.

Transformer Award  – Damien Baity, Chief Financial Officer

This award is for demonstration of excellence in contributions to organizational transformation.

Mentor of the Year – Maya Jones, West End Library Branch Manager

This award is for demonstration of professional commitment to staff development via professional mentorship.
21st Century Facilitator Award – Maurice Harley, BPL Training Coordinator

Security Service Award – Ben Williams

This award is for exceptional and consistent customer service in the provision of library security.