2024 Librarian of the Year Winner
Jessica Daly, B.S.Ed., MLS
Describe the reason(s) why you think the nominee is deserving of this award (not to exceed one page). Information may include contributions to the profession, accomplishments at his/her library, assistance to other libraries or librarians, involvement in library associations, or other areas of personal achievement.
Jessica Daly currently serves as the Head of Collections & Electronic Resources as well as Head of Library Outreach & Marketing. Upon arriving to the R.A. Williams Library two years ago, Jessica realized the library needed to focus on outreach and marketing to bring attention to the amazing resources and services offered to students, staff, and faculty. As Jessica worked with faculty and students, she realized they were not aware of all the library had to offer as an academic support partner. It became her personal mission to begin official outreach and marketing to her library. Months later due to her dedication and successes, the library director named Jessica “Head of Outreach & Marketing.” Since that time, Jessica has reimagined how the library is seen within her campuses. She not only partnered with the Student Engagement Office, Community Outreach Department, and the AHU social media Team. One special area for Jessica was the satellite AHU campus located in Denver, Colorado. Jessica began meeting with the AHU Denver leadership and professors learning how she could best meet their needs but most importantly the needs of her students. Since 2022, Jessica has made strides to build relationships and increase the usage of library resources and services for these amazing satellite students and faculty.
In addition to her assigned roles, Jessica works with students both online and in person through research consultations. She also assists students with research assistance through live chat. Jessica is a guest in both online and in person classes across her university teaching research skills and promoting her library.
After working as a hospital librarian and health literacy advocate/educator for 5 years, Jessica brought her experience and knowledge to the students, staff, and faculty of AHU through monthly health literacy webinars. With the support and partnership between the R.A. Williams Library and the Director of Community Engagement for AHU, Jessica designed the AHU Health Literacy Webinar Series for 2023. The participation and feedback were incredible! After conducting a survey of the 2023 webinar participants, the library realized they must continue the series for 2024. Each month’s health literacy topic for the 2024 series was suggested by one or more of the 2023 webinar participants. These participants included students, staff, and faculty of AHU. Each live webinar is conducted during the lunch hour and is then recorded and housed on the library’s website.
Jessica began monthly displays within the physical library highlighting the print and audio book collection.
Jessica created an outreach and promotional program called Faculty Library Champions. Faculty from AHU were asked and agreed to serve as faculty library champions for the R.A. Williams Library. As faculty library champions the participants promoted the services and resources of the R.A. Williams library throughout their departments, posters, and social media using their pictures and quotes about the library. With a goal of only 5 library champions, Jessica now has 8! Each participant submitted a quote about the library along with their professional headshot. These were used on posters and library monitors to promote the support of these beloved professors.
To further promote the R.A. Williams Library, Jessica began meeting with each department chair asking to be given only 10 minutes at the beginning of a department meeting to share library updates with faculty. The requests were granted giving Jessica fact time and personal interactions with faculty from all departments within her university.
Another way to reach faculty were through a short video series she designed and created called “Collection Connection”. These 2–4-minute videos were emailed to all faculty informing them of all things new associated with collection development. Topics highlighted included title requests, course reserves, book donations, selecting E-book titles instead of print, and many more.
Jessica researched and designed a program meant to involve students within the planning, programs, and promotion of the library called the AHU Library Ambassador Program. This officially began in January of 2024. There are currently 9 members from both the Orlando and Denver campuses. The Library Ambassadors serve as advocates and representatives for the library and at outreach events and through peer connections. Library Ambassadors also provide valuable feedback on the libraries’ initiatives and services, as well as advocate for the perspectives of the student body. The Library Ambassador program provides students with leadership skills, professional connections, and the opportunity to make a positive impact. This opportunity is open to all AHU students.
After realizing that only a small amount of contact had ever been made between the AHU Online Campus and the R.A. Williams Library, Jessica reached out to the leadership for the AHU online programs and quickly formed relationships finding ways of better informing the online students of the resources and services available to them through the library.
Jessica realized that the university’s student dorm residents were not aware of the resources and services offered by the R.A. Williams Library. She quickly scheduled a meeting with the Dean of Housing for AHU and discussed ways in which the library could reach the students within the dorms. Goodie bags were created and passed out personally by Jessica at Christmas and the beginning of the school year in August. The students were blown away! The library and Jessica also hosted a “Taco Tuesday” event at the AHU dorms for all residents. Each table of food was decorated with facts about the library so that students could enjoy a meal while learning all their library had to offer them as students.
Jessica is a guest speaker/presenter for the Orange County Library System. She has been a speaker for them for over 3 years with a monthly live webinar promoting health literacy within her community.
Jessica is a guest speaker/presenter for several Florida library systems and organizations including the Southeastern Florida Library Network, the Northeast Florida Library Information Network, and numerous private libraries across the state of Florida. She creates and presents health literacy education for both patrons and for library professional development.
Jessica speaks as numerous professional conferences yearly. In 2023 she presented at the Florida Library Association Conference, the Andrews University Teaching and Learning Conference, and the Florida Literacy Coalitions – Health Literacy Summit. In 2024 Jessica has already been accepted as a presenter for the upcoming Florida Literacy Coalition – Health Literacy Summit as well as the Florida Library Association.
Beyond FHSLA, Jessica is a member of numerous professional library organizations including Florida Library Association (member of two committees), the American Library Association, the Southern Chapter of the Medical Library Association (member of one committee), the Medical Library Association, the Association of College and Research Libraries, and the National Health Literacy Association.
Jessica was asked to serve on the 2023 and 2024 Florida Literacy Coalition – Health Literacy Summit planning committees. She will present two sessions at the upcoming summit happening on February 27th.
Jessica has been an educator, school media coordinator, academic librarian, and a medical research librarian for over 27 years. She is creative and open to changes for the positive when it comes to libraries. She understands that the library has changed since the Covid-19 pandemic and our learners need new and innovative methods of receiving information and assistance. She loves a challenge and finding ways to assist her students, staff, and faculty.
Jessica was named “Hospital Librarian of the Year for 2020” by the Southern Chapter of the Medical Library of Medicine and was awarded “Exemplary Instructional Programs or Services” in 2022 by the Florida Library Association. Jessica is a published author and columnist.
Jessica has been married to her best friend, Brian, for 24 years and is the proud mother of Taylor, her 21-year-old daughter who attends Seminole State College. She has two dogs, Bella, a Shih Tzu mix, and Scout, a Golden Retriever.