By Ellis Willard
During a May 28 ceremony at the Downtown Library, the West Virginia University Library Faculty Assembly Awards Committee and the WVU Libraries Staff Recognition and Awards Committee presented awards to librarian and staff recipients, recognizing their exceptional knowledge, skill, and dedication to their role and the WVU community.
Dean of WVU Libraries Karen Diaz (center) and WVU Law Library Director Stephanie Miller (right) presenting Director of Knowledge Access and Resource Management Megan Heady (left) the 2025 Outstanding Librarian Award.
Megan Heady – Outstanding Librarian Award
Megan Heady, director of the Knowledge Access and Resource Management (KARM) department, received the 2025 Outstanding Librarian Award. Heady was nominated for her technical expertise, leadership, communication skills, and dedication to the Libraries over the last 12 years.
Beth Thobois – Distinguished Service Award
Beth Thobois was selected for the 2025 Distinguished Service Award. She retired May 9, 2024, as university librarian emerita with more than 30 years of service to WVU. Thobois was recognized for the introduction of innovative educational tools and for leading the expansion of library services across diverse constituencies.
Autumn Summers – Outstanding Employee of the Year
Autumn Summers, a collections support manager in KARM, was selected for the 2025 Outstanding Employee of the Year Award. Summers was recognized for her exceptional institutional knowledge, leadership on key projects, and ongoing commitment to enhancing Libraries’ services.
Braden Rupe – Early Career Employee of the Year
Braden Rupe, a collections support specialist in KARM, was selected for the 2025 Early Career Employee of the Year Award. Rupe was recognized for his strong and consistent performance, commitment to professional development, and ability to collaborate and contribute positively to his team and broader Libraries culture.
Rae Cornell, Nina Han, Caty Rakowski, Braden Rupe, and Autumn Summers – Team Excellence Award
The Appalachian Call Number Relabeling Project team (Rae Cornell, Nina Han, Caty Rakowski, Braden Rupe, and Autumn Summers) was selected for the 2025 WVU Libraries Team Excellence Award. This team was nominated for their work on a complex project that required seamless collaboration between Access Services and KARM staff to standardize the spine labels of approximately 7,000 volumes in the Appalachian Collection.
Pictured left to right: Collections Support Manager Autumn Summers, Assistant Director of Access Services Rae Cornell (then Access Services Desk Manager), Caty Rakowski, Collections Support Specialist and Student Coordinator Nina Han, Collections Support Specialist Braden Rupe, and Dean of WVU Libraries Karen Diaz.
Not only do we thank these award recipients for their outstanding performance and dedication, but we also note the great work happening across the WVU Libraries system, which is reflected in their example. Karen Diaz, Dean, WVU Libraries