LAUC-LA Librarian of the Year: Marsha Kmec

UCLA Faculty Center

May 14, 2007

Remarks by Catherine Brown

Portions of the following remarks are taken from the nominating letters of support.

The LAUC-LA Librarian of the Year Award was established in 1993/1994 to recognize excellence in librarianship, particularly as it enhances library service and furthers the teaching and research mission of UCLA. The recipient must also embody one or more of the following qualities: creativity, innovation, intellectual or moral courage, leadership, and scholarship.

Twelve worthy candidates were nominated for the award this year, among whom a few especially stood out as having demonstrated remarkable talents and achievements. Two of those nominations came from faculty members only. We delighted to announce that the 2007 Librarian of the Year Award goes to Marsha Kmec.

During the past twelve to eighteen months Marsha has contributed significantly to the enhancement of the library's service to the physicians and patrons of Olive View UCLA Medical Center and in so doing has furthered the teaching and research mission of the University.

Marsha applied for, and was awarded, a $5,000 grant from the Olive View Foundation. A recently established foundation, she was one of the first employees to receive an award.

Working in close collaboration with Christian Puiu, Emergency Room RN, Marsha established a video network in the ER waiting room area which continuously broadcasts patient education videos in English and, more importantly, Spanish. These 24 / 7 /365 day a week broadcasts are excellent vehicles to educate ER patients, many of whom are immigrants or lower income patrons, who would never have access to such information. Additionally, they help ease the burden of extensive wait times, so prevalent in this high-traffic County facility.

The Olive View-UCLA Medical Center is a major teaching site for the UCLA School of Medicine. They have several major residency programs and train hundreds of residents and students annually. As part of her commitment to the educational program, Marcia aggressively worked to upgrade information system capabilities by providing access to several databases (*Stat Ref, *MD Consult *Cochrane ) through a Bruin online Proxy server. Although not previously available through the county, these resources are now available to all via the hospital intranet and have had a significant impact on house staff education and patient care. This project took a considerable amount of time and effort but demonstrated her commitment to modernizing the library’s information system capabilities.

Marsha plays a key role in the research activities of Olive View faculty. As one put it, “without her assistance, which is ALWAYS immediate, I would not be able to publish as frequently as I have during the past decade.”

She was recently asked to serve on the editorial board for the Radiological Society of North America, the publishers of Radiology and Radiology Clinics of North America.

Marsha has held leadership positions within the Medical Library Group of Southern Calfornia and Arizona, and the Medical Library Association. She also serves on the advisory councils for CSUN and College of the Canyons, and remains very active in committee work at Olive View.

I quote: “Marsha Kmec has been crucial to the enhancement of the physician and patient experience here at Olive View UCLA Medical Center.”

The Committee is pleased to recognize Marsha’s exceptional achievement by naming her the LAUC-LA 2007 Librarian of the Year.

And now, Marsha, please come forward to accept your award.

[Presentation of certificate & clock]

The certificate reads:

THE LIBRARIANS ASSOCIATION OF THE

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA , LOS ANGELES

IS PLEASED TO PRESENT THE

2007 LIBRARIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD

TO

Marsha Kmec

IN RECOGNITION OF HER DEDICATION AND

INNOVATIVE LEADERSHIP IN DEVELOPING

AND SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTING

THE OLIVE VIEW-UCLA MEDICAL CENTER'S 

EMERGENCY WAITING ROOM PATIENT VIDEO NETWORK.

PRESENTED AT THE LAUC-LA ASSEMBLY

UCLA FACULTY CENTER

MONDAY, MAY 14, 2007

At the request of the LAUC membership, Marsha will also receive an extra $250 in professional development funds for the next fiscal year.