Two Nicholls Librarians have a lot to smile about after this years’ LOUIS Users Conference (LUC).
Ellender Memorial Library Director Brandy Burbante has earned the 2024 Leader in Librarianship award, and Access Services Librarian Andrew Barbier has won the Early Career Librarian Award.
“I think this shows how hard we are working and going above and beyond for our library users to offer personalized support, to reduce barriers to information, and to create a supportive environment, especially over this past year through library renovations and employee turnovers,” said Burbante.
LOUIS: the Louisiana Library Network is the consortium that helps pool resources and provide support for the university and community college libraries from around the state. Each year, they host a conference for librarians and staff to discuss the latest trends in librarianship, professional development for enhancing daily work, and updates on individual libraries around the state.
LUC also gives library employees a chance to nominate colleagues for awards spanning seven categories. A committee of peers then selects the winners, which are honored during the conference. The pair was praised for endurance during tough working conditions and outreach efforts.
In addition to their librarian job duties, Burbante and Barbier have been tasked with leading the Ellender Memorial Library through a renovation project that closed down many areas of the building to students. The renovations follow Hurricane Ida compromising the roof and flooding some areas of the building, ruining carpet and elevators. The two had to work with administration and contractors to ensure students had access to what they needed as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Burbante, who became director in July 2023, has worked on improving access to open education materials through committee work as well as finding room in the budget and working with LOUIS to purchase etextbooks for courses. She has led events to promote student mental health such as Take a PAWs, as well as faculty authors.
Burbante is helping improve employee morale as the building is being put back together.
“I have worked a lot of jobs in my life. Most had one thing in common: bad bosses,” Barbier said. “Brandy is not one of those. She encourages us, promotes our ideas, and lets us have a work/life balance. She has breathed new life into the library.”
In addition to dealing with renovations, Barbier, who started in June 2022, headed a project to create a board game collection for the library, has hosted many successful streams to promote Library Outreach and revamped the system for checking out laptops.
“I am so amazed at Andrew’s ability to consistently demonstrate exemplary qualities of adaptability, flexibility, innovation, and a steadfast commitment to maintaining our library’s relevance in a rapidly changing academic landscape,” Burbante said.
Nicholls has won several awards at LUC over the years, including Library of the Year in 2016. For a list of more awards, visit the LUC Hall of Fame website.
