Awards

University Librarian Recognition Award

Eligibility: Any member of the University Senate at the University of Michigan who holds a Primary Faculty appointment as Librarian, Archivist, or Curator, with no more than eight years’ practice in his or her profession.

Award: The recipient will be awarded $1,000 to commemorate the honor to be conferred at the annual Faculty Awards occasion.

Selection Criteria: Active and innovative early-career achievement in library, archival or curatorial services. This may include developing specialized services for faculty and students, improving access to information, or efficiently managing the library and archival resources (staff, space, funding, collections).

Please submit nomination materials at the Faculty Senate awards nomination page. The deadline for the 2026 award cycle is May 6, 2026.

  • A statement of the nominee’s achievements in library, archival or curatorial activities. (Required)
  • A current curriculum vitae. (Required)
  • Internal letters of support from within the nominee’s appointment unit (U-M Library or other) (Required)
  • External letters of support from outside the nominee’s appointment unit (Required). Note: No fewer than 3 letters of support should be from external sources. The external letters of support may be from within or from outside the University.

Nomination Eligibility Duration: Nominees are eligible for three years: the current year and, if not selected, they will also be automatically included in the pool of candidates for the next two award cycles.

Maggie Vanderford - 2025 Award Recipient

Librarian for Instruction and Engagement, William L. Clements Library

Maggie Vanderford

 

 

 

 

Maggie Vanderford, the inaugural librarian for instruction and engagement at the William L. Clements Library, has transformed the Clements into a vibrant center for undergraduate and graduate learning. Her leadership has forged lasting connections between the library’s exceptional collections and the U-M academic community, leaving an indelible mark on the institution. Vanderford joined the Clements Library in 2021, and through vision and dedication, built a robust and inclusive formal instructional program from the ground up. She has established new partnerships with nearly 20 departments, tripled the number of class sessions, provided a path to integrating archival materials into a variety of courses, and established public events, like student-curated exhibits, and special student study sessions at the end of each semester, which draw nearly 100 attendees a night to the library. Faculty and students alike praise her creativity, energy and commitment to making archives a foundation for original research and academic exploration. She is regarded as a campus leader in library instruction, setting a standard for what hands-on engagement with special collections can achieve.

The 2025 awardee information provided above is from the October 27th, 2025, University Record article, Thirty-five to receive faculty awards at annual celebration.

Previous University Librarian Recognition Award Recipients

2024 — Jesus Espinoza, University Library, Student Success and Engagement

2023 — Denise Leyton, University Library, Strategic Planning Team

2022 — Callum Carr, UM-Flint, Archivist

2021 — Leigh Billings, University Library, Metadata Management

2020 — Liangyu Fu, University Library, Chinese Studies

2019 — Jungwon Yang, University Library, International Government Information and Public Policy

2017 — Jo Angela (Angie) Oehrli, University Library, Learning and Teaching

2016 — Mara Blake, University Library

2015 — Marci Brandenburg, University Library, Health Sciences

2014 — Evyn Kropf, Senior Associate Librarian, Library Research – International Studies

2013 — Jamie Lausch Vander Broek, Associate Librarian, Library Research

2012 — Suzanne Chapman, University Library

2011 — Loyd Mbabu, University Library

2010 — Jean Song, University Library, Health Sciences

2009 — Jennifer Green, University Library

2008 — Donna Hayward, Associate Dean of Libraries and Librarian for Budget and Planning

2007 — Gupreet Rana, University Library

2006 — Annette Haines, University Library

2005 — Maria Bonn, University Library

2004 — Mary Rader, University Library

2003 — Susan Hollar, University Library