OCUFA Academic Librarianship Award: Cory Laverty honoured in 2013

This year Cory Laverty has been honoured with the 2012-2013 Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) Academic Librarianship award. Cory is the Teaching & Learning Specialist and the Head of the Education Library and Teacher Resource Centre at the Queen’s University Library.

A librarian since 1984, Cory’s academic library career began at Queen’s University in 1989. Since then she has held a variety of positions, gaining a broad knowledge of the workings of an academic library system and clearly putting that knowledge to work for the benefit of students, faculty and her librarian colleagues.

Cory’s valuable contributions as an academic librarian and administrator are echoed in the comments provided in her support letters. The Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Research comments, “Cory has been a strong intellectual presence in our faculty, supporting both undergraduate and graduate learning … Her workshops and presentations make the difference in their ability to develop robust and rigorous research projects.”

A former Dean of the Faculty of Education writes, “She has made an outstanding contribution to the library by bringing it up to date in terms of technology, accessibility, rapid response to scholars, service to students, [and] materials. Her contributions to the Faculty of Education have gone beyond the call of duty.”

Members of the Faculty of Education commented on Dr. Laverty’s dedication to student learning and support for the individuals in the program. A doctoral candidate in education said that Cory Laverty is one of the “treasures” of the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University. Her contributions through the development of information resources and programs that support the teaching, learning and research goals of the undergraduate students, graduate students, and the faculty have helped to create an “amazing facility.”

Cory’s professional practice and consequently her research interests centre on information literacy and student learning. The evidence presented in the award submission demonstrates that she is a scholar in every sense of the word. Her C.V. documents an impressive array of peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, invited conference papers, and a host of conference presentations delivered over the span Cory’s career.

The Queen’s University Librarian notes that “the research on teaching and learning that [Cory] has conducted over the years has had a direct impact on the ways in which librarians teach and what they teach, and in turn how teacher candidates are prepared for their professional lives in the classroom.

A Professor Emeritus of the Faculty of Information and Media Studies at Western University, who is a long time professional colleague, wrote of Cory, “She is the epitome of the scholar-librarian bringing theory and practice together on a daily basis.”

A 2011-2012 winner of the OCUFA Academic Librarianship Award stated, “Cory is passionate about information literacy in all its aspects and her expertise in this area is outstanding. I am not alone in believing that she is one of the top information literacy experts in the province.”

It is very clear from the heartfelt and passionate letters written in support of Cory’s nomination that she has a great and positive influence on those students, staff, and faculty with whom she interacts. Supportive, collaborative, generous, and caring are words frequently found in the submission. The academic library community is truly fortunate to have Dr. Laverty among its members. Recently the Ontario College and University Libraries Association honoured Cory with their 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing her ongoing and significant contributions in our field.