Hedberg Library
Wisconsin Library Association
Library of the Year 2004
Wisconsin Library Association
LIBRARY OF THE YEAR AWARD: The award is conferred upon any type of Wisconsin library, library system or library network for distinguished achievement in service. The staff, library board or administering body, and the community or people served shall all be involved in the work for which recognition is sought. The award shall be based upon such activities or accomplishments as the following:
  1. User oriented services.
  2. Structure of library service including development and participation in networks and systems and cooperative planning and programming with other types of libraries.
  3. Collections based on sound selection policies.
  4. Development of opportunities for professional growth and job Satisfaction for all employees.
  5. Changes or improvements in physical facilities resulting in better services.
For adopting a mission as an Electronic Teaching Library, providing information and instructional resources that enable the faculty and staff to teach, and students to acquire skills for classwork and everyday life;
For reaching out to the surrounding communities of Kenosha and Racine, inviting residents to participate in Friday Family Fun Night on the Carthage campus for a nominal fee;
For combining the traditional reference collection with the computer lab to form an Information Commons that is staffed by professionals, paraprofessionals, media staff, and specially trained student Information Technology Assistants;
For offering Office Tutoring, scheduled tutoring sessions in an individual's office, to Carthage faculty and staff for one-on-one instruction by the Academic Information Service staff as needed;
For being a founding member of the Southeast Wisconsin Instructional Network Group (SWING), a tri-county consortium of K-12's, technical colleges, and higher education institutions that allow for sharing full motion video conferencing and distance education opportunities;

For these, and many other outstanding accomplishments that make Hedberg Library an innovator among academic libraries, the Wisconsin Library Association is pleased to recognize Hedberg Library, of Carthage College, the 2004 Library of the Year.

The following are excerpts form the letter of nomination to the
Awards Committee:

Carthage was among the first academic libraries in Wisconsin to adopt the Information Commons concept and embrace a computer lab in the library supervised by library staff. Hedberg Library is among the first and still one of the few to cross train student assistants (ITAs) for duty in the library and other labs across campus. The Library was among the first academic institutions to cross train library and computer staff for duty at the reference desk and the computer help desk and then to combine the two desks into one in the new library. The Library was also among the first to implement a program of one-on-one office tutoring for media, computing and library instruction.

Carthage was one of the first two or three Wisconsin institutions to adopt the merged information service model. This model has had an impact on our ability to more quickly acquire access to electronic databases and make them available on the campus network where users from many campus locations could gain access. This merger also facilitated the library's migration to wireless laptop circulation, PWEC (portable wireless electronic classroom) pilot and the incorporation for these resources into the information literacy program.

Staff development is essential in times of rapid changes and the several approaches utilized for AIS staff are impressive in variety and scope. Staff development activities have upgraded staff skills and improved knowledge of practices at other institutions and in the information technology world at large. This knowledge has helped staff adjust to new expectations and adapt to the evolving services paradigms.

All these innovations culminated in a new facility that, if built without the piloting and experimentation, would not have its present form. If not done with an awareness of the technological changes underway in society as a whole and an ability to make educated calculations regarding where it will lead, a new facility will be soon outdated and unable to serve its public adequately.

Hedberg Library was conceived and constructed as a "laptop friendly" facility. Connection to the Internet is done with wired and wireless technology. Moreover, it is done with student-owned or leased equipment, or with equipment borrowed at the circulation desk. There are over 500 power and data ports in the library.

The Hedberg Library truly is a high-tech facility, proactively providing a large superb array of information and technical services.