Courtney Hoffner (left) was honored for her role in redesigning the UCLA Library website, and Sangeeta Pal was honored for helping streamline the library.
       UCLA Libraries Chief Web Editor and Content Design Librarian Courtney Hoffner and UCLA Law Library Accessibility Service Librarian Sangita Pal named UCLA Librarian of the Year 2023 by the UCLA Librarians Association.
        Established in 1994, the award honors libraries for excellence in one or more of the following areas: creativity, innovation, courage, leadership, and inclusion. This year, two librarians were honored after last year’s hiatus due to pandemic-related disruptions. Hofner and Parr will each receive $500 in professional development funds.
       ”The work of the two librarians has had a profound impact on how people access and access UCLA’s libraries and collections,” said Lisette Ramirez, chair of the Librarian of the Year awards committee.
        Hoffner received a master’s degree in information studies from UCLA in 2008 and joined the library in 2010 as a librarian for web and emerging technologies in the sciences. She was recognized for 18 months of leading the library in redesigning, overhauling and relaunching content design, and migrating the UCLA Libraries website. Hoffner leads the library department and colleagues through content strategy, program planning, editor training, content creation, and knowledge sharing, while defining his newly created role as Editor-in-Chief. Her work makes it easier for visitors to find library resources and services, providing a pleasant user experience.
        “The challenges involved in transforming old messy content into new ideal forms are numerous and huge,” says Ramirez, librarian and archivist at the Los Angeles Community and Cultural Project. “Hoffner’s unique combination of institutional knowledge and subject matter expertise, combined with her tremendous commitment to quality and the library’s mission, make her the perfect choice to guide us through this transformation.”
        Pal received his bachelor’s degree in political science from UCLA in 1995 and joined the UCLA Law Library in 1999 as an accessibility service librarian. She was recognized for leading the work done to streamline the library, allowing more users to access library materials system-wide. As chairman of the local implementation team, Parr played a pivotal role in the implementation of UC Library Search, which better integrates the distribution, management and sharing of print and digital collections within the UC library system. About 80 colleagues from all UCLA libraries and affiliated libraries participated in the multi-year project.
        “Pal created an atmosphere of support and understanding throughout the various phases of the project, ensuring that all of the library’s stakeholders, including affiliated libraries, felt heard and satisfied,” Ramirez said. “Parr’s ability to listen to all sides of an issue and ask insightful questions is one of the keys to UCLA’s successful transition to integrated systems through her leadership.”
       The committee also recognizes and acknowledges the work of all 2023 nominees: Salma Abumeiz, Jason Burton, Kevin Gerson, Christopher Gilman, Miki Goral, Donna Gulnak, Angela Horne, Michael Oppenheim, Linda Tolly and Hermine Vermeil.
        The Librarians Association, founded in 1967 and officially recognized as an official division of the University of California in 1975, advises the University of California on professional and managerial matters, advises on the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of UC librarians. comprehensive development of professional competence of UC librarians.
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