Gold Book 2007/08 Service Awards

Barry Champany, Library Representative, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Barbara Bibel of Oakland P.L. lauds Champany's helpfulness in tracking orders that go astray and his willingness to obtain review copies for her reviewers in the Medical Library Association and on the Sophie Brody Medal Committee. Above all, "if he can't find it, he tells me who can. He really goes the extra mile for us."

BARRY SAYS I have been with Wiley for nearly 14 years as of November 1. Wiley is truly a great company to work for, and having had the chance to meet with literally hundreds of librarians all over the Western United States has been the best part of the job!

Lori Gray, Western Regional Manager, Customized Cataloging Services, Brodart Co.

Lori Gray "has a fantastic ability to lead you through the most complex process" with her unique talent of "listening to a question you pose and then answering it on your terms." Jan Passo of Las Vegas—Clark Cty. Lib. Dist., NV, continues on to say that Lori "helped us accomplish complex goals by truly understanding our needs and bending her product to serve us."

LORI SAYS I have been with Brodart for 18 years and have loved every minute of it. It's a wonderful and noble industry to be involved with, and working with librarians toward a common goal is the most motivating and satisfying part of my job. Brodart has a wonderful corporate culture that starts at the top and works throughout our organization—it's a great place to work. We value our employees, and we value our customers, and this attitude can't help but result in some longlasting and successful partnerships. This award should be shared with the many employees at Brodart who make every day a success for us all.

Jane Herb, Public Library Sales Consultant, Baker & Taylor, Inc.

Debbie Socha of Yuma Cty. Lib., AZ, is always impressed by Jane Herb's "prompt and personal service." Jane answers every query and question thoroughly and quickly and demonstrates patience and skill in her presentations. In addition, Socha says, "I have called her at work, at home, and on her cell, and I have never felt like I was disturbing her. Her cheerful demeanor and quick responses should be commended. She is one in a million!"

JANE SAYS I have been with Baker & Taylor for eight years this November 1. The best part about my job is getting to work with such smart, kind, and book-loving people. It hardly feels like working when you get to talk about books. Of course, chatting about books is really not a big part of my job, but it is the core of why many of us went into this world of publishing/wholesaling/libraries, so we manage to sneak it in! I also feel lucky to work for a company with such a large number of materials and services. With our variety of offerings, I enjoy consulting with the librarians to help them tailor programs that will work well at their library.

Maritza Lenard, Representative, Follett Library Resources

When it came to helping create a new middle school in the Bronx, NY, "Maritza Lenard brought a lot of clarity to what can be a confusing experience. She created a planning process for this library and a time line, helped to plan the space, and even shared some ideas about staffing—all this on the way to creating the collection," says Brian Kenney, Editor in Chief of School Library Journal. He continues, "We are fortunate in the library world to have vendors who aren't just good businesspeople but are also great advocates for libraries. Maritza is certainly one of these."

Jeff Metz, Regional Sales Manager, Recorded Books, Inc.

Judith Loeb of Hillside P.L., New Hyde Park, NY, sings the praises of Jeff Metz: "Jeff always has a big smile on his face" and he is always "very cordial and knowledgeable. When I 'bug' him with further questions, he calls back promptly and with correct information." Loeb's colleagues at other libraries also speak highly of Jeff, and Loeb states, "In sum, Jeff is the only vendor with whom I ever look forward to scheduling appointments, since I am always certain of efficient and effective service."

JEFF SAYS I've been at Recorded Books for over two-and-half years, and the best part of the job is meeting with librarians every day and discussing great audiobooks. I truly enjoy working with my customers and helping them to build their audiobook collection.

Karen Ribnicky, Founder & Owner, Library Display Design Systems

Karen Ribnicky "offers products and ideas that help us de-clutter our workspace, organize our collections, promote our services, and provide quality service," says Joan Fox of Granby P.L., CT. But, most important of all, she offers "smiles and good feelings that come with the delivery at no extra charge!"

KAREN SAYS I founded Library Display Design Systems along with my husband, Tom, 20 years ago. I was a librarian interested in merchandising and display, and the best part of my job has been working with so many great librarians and seeing the effect of good display on their customers. We've made so many wonderful friends, and I'm in a little hot water here in the Northeast because I spoiled everyone with personal visits and loads of free space planning and advice for years. We've had to stop that now so that we can share with libraries nationwide. But folks know I'll spend hours on the phone with them to help with our products. Tom and I have personally cared for all of our customers over the years, and although it's certainly been a lot of hard work, we've had a lot of fun.

Doris Taylor, Michigan Head Representative for School & Library Sales, Chelsea House Publishers, Facts On File, Lerner Publishing Group, Mason Crest, Enslow, Abdo & Spotlight Publishers, Creative & Black Rabbit Publications, and Omnigraphics

Marian Rafal of Bloomfield Township P.L., MI, finds that Doris Taylor provides "extraordinary service and care of customers" and "does her homework prior to each and every appointment." All in all, Rafal says, "Doris makes it too easy for us! She is unique and sets the standard for salesmanship."

DORIS SAYS I have been representing Chelsea House Publishers since 1991, and Chelsea House has been very supportive of my efforts and sales needs for the past 17 years. And every day is an adventure! Not any appointment at public libraries and public, private, and parochial school systems is ever the same. Working with the different librarians throughout the state has been a wonderful experience.

Robert Williams, Inside Sales Consultant, A/V Institutional Sales, Baker & Taylor

When it comes to developing a music CD collection, Robert Williams has offered "outstanding service," says Alexander Crosby of Las Vegas—Clark Cty. Lib. Dist., NV. "He has provided specialized lists, helped track down the best version of a CD to buy, and helped to lead us to other sources to find more information on all types of music. He is always cheerful, thorough, prompt, knowledgeable, and professional."

ROBERT SAYS I will be celebrating my 20th anniversary in November, and at the beginning of my career with Baker & Taylor, I worked with retail accounts, then transitioned to the library market—a switch I have never regretted. I like helping my customers keep their collections as current and timely as possible. I try to recommend titles that I know their patrons will be asking for, as soon as word gets out that they are available. It's great to have new titles to sell every week. It's so much more exciting than selling the same old "widget" week after week. I always try to look at things from my customer's point of view and look for the answer or resolution that I would want and expect to receive as a customer.

Stephanie Wills, Library Services Representative, Audio Editions Books on Cassette and CD

Melinda Belles of Vigo Cty. P.L., Terrre Haute, IN, recalls when her library started a new program of best seller audiobooks: "Stephanie Wills ran several cost profiles for us, then patiently waited until our administration decided what number to order. And once the decision was made, she had everything to us quickly. She is a delight to deal with, no matter what we need or if we change orders."

STEPHANIE SAYS I have worked at Audio Editions for the past year and a half, and the time has flown by! Not only do I love books, I have always loved libraries. I'm also responsible for administering our Flexible Standing Order Plans. My coworker in the library department is Kirby Desha, and we are quite the team and find it thrilling to work for a company with a true understanding of customer service. I work with a great group of people who really care about what they do, and I feel like part of an extended family. I love talking to people from all over the country—it's a fascinating way to spend my day!

Larry Zapfe, Customer Service Representative, Follett Library Resources

Suzanne Shearman of Barclay School Library, Brockport, NY, has no idea what Larry Zapfe looks like, but she knows his voice: "Whenever I call Follett and hear Larry's voice, I know that he will take all the time that's needed to make my life easier. If an order gets mixed up, Larry will fix it. If an order doesn't get completed, Larry will fix it. If the processing is incorrect, Larry will fix it....I don't have a lot of free, uninterrupted time for ordering, but knowing Larry is just a phone call away really makes me happy. And I know that sometime during our conversation, he will end up making me laugh. It doesn't get much better than Larry Zapfe!"