Mary Ann Mavrinac, Vice Provost and Dean of the River Campus Libraries, received the Ontario College and University Library Association (OCULA) 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award. OCULA is a branch of the Ontario College Association and represents higher education library faculty and staff. The Lifetime Achievement honors those that made exceptional contributions to academic library development, publication and research, and to other library professionals as role models.
The award comes on the heels of her recent work regarding plans to revolutionize the River Campus Libraries and welcome them into the digital future. This includes the ten-year plan titled Rush Rhees Library Revitalization Project. Mavrinac also joined with the Department of History to obtain a $360,000 grant from the Emerson Foundation to digitize the Seward Family Archive in the Department of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation.
Additionally, she has been working with Central IT and the Health and Science Center for Computational Innovation on the creation of the Collaboratory for Date Sciences. This new project will be placed in Carlson Library.
This award was given due to her previous projects and position. She was the chief librarian at one of the University of Toronoto libraries, located at the Mississauga Campus. During her time, she led the planning and supervised the completion of Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Center. This facility won an innovation achievement award from the Canadian Association of College and University Libraries.
In 2007, the Association of Research Libraries selected Mavrinac as one of 23 fellows for Research Library Leadership development. Then in 2010, she served as the president of the Ontario Library Association.
Mavrinac received a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto, a Master of Library Science from the University of Western Ontario and a Doctor of Education from Fielding Graduate University. “All of my degrees have contributed to my current role,” Mavrinac explained. “Library science as a discipline provides me with foundational knowledge that is important in overseeing an academic library. My Doctorate in Education is in the area of Educational Leadership and Change, important as we go through the many changes and developments that have occurred in higher education, technology, telecommunications, research, learning and teaching about which libraries play a vital role in supporting and leading in the academy.”
This award came as a complete surprise to Mavrinac, as she was nominated by the Director of St. Jermone’s Unversity Library Lorna Rourke and a business librarian at York University Libraries Kim Stymest. Mavrinac coauthored and mentored Stymest. The nomination process is a lengthy one. Nominations must be seconded, and both nominators need to write letters of support focusing on the nominee’s achievements.
“I was very honored and humbled to receive this award, doubly so because it was a nomination from my peers,” Mavrinac said.
After attending the OCULA Annual General Meeting where she received the award, Mavrinac celebrated with close friends and colleagues. Overall, Mavrinac was happy about the experience.
“The award is a lovely honor,” Mavrinac said.
Johnson is a member of the class of 2016
