Tim Bucknall, assistant dean for Electronic Resources and Information Technology and associate professor for University Libraries at UNC Greensboro, has been awarded the 2019 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Efficiency and Innovation. The Governor’s Award is the highest honor a state employee may receive for dedicated service to the state and the people of North Carolina, while recognizing the accomplishments and actions of individuals that are outside of the usual scope of their job duties.
Photo Courtesy of the NC Office of State Human Resources |
Bucknall received the Efficiency and Innovation award from Noelle Talley, deputy chief of staff to Governor Roy Cooper, and Kathy Crowe, associate dean for public services and associate professor for University Libraries at UNCG. He was nominated in this category for his ability to improve the efficiency of state government services, while also establishing new and improved methods, practices, plans and designs that have resulted in innovation, savings and efficiencies.
Honorees at the event attended a luncheon in the Executive Mansion before receiving their awards at a special ceremony in the auditorium of the N.C. Museum of History. WRAL news anchor Debra Morgan emceed the event. The Office of State Human Resources presented the ceremony with the support of the North Carolina State Employees’ Credit Union Foundation.
Bucknall was nominated for the Governor’s Excellence Award by Christine Fischer, head of Technical Services and associate professor for University Libraries. In her letter of recommendation to nominate Bucknall, she cited his strong analytical and leadership skills as contributors to his success.
“Tim’s openness, transparency of decision making, humor and management skills make him a trusted colleague and supervisor,” said Fischer. “He strives every day to improve efficiencies in libraries and provide access to essential collection resources.”
Photo Courtesy of the NC Office of State Human Resources |
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As founder and convener of the Carolina Consortium, Bucknall has organized a group of more than 180 libraries at public and private colleges, universities, community colleges and seminaries, as well as public libraries in North Carolina and South Carolina. These libraries are able to license databases and streaming video resources, subscribe to journal packages and provide access to additional resources for their faculty, students and communities with a cost avoidance of $398 million in 2018. The consortium’s service population is just at 750,000 users.
Membership in the Carolina Consortium is by virtue of participation in at least one deal, and libraries choose which resources to add to their collections. Bucknall negotiates licenses that yield better subscription fees, lower service charges and lower annual inflation rates than individual libraries could negotiate themselves. He works closely with a team of other negotiators to communicate with vendors and publishers in seeking the most effective deals for all members, including smaller schools and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
“Tim has been instrumental in providing data to drive decision making at UNCG,” said Fischer. “He led a collaborative efficiencies study and even created a library data repository for the UNC System.”
Bucknall’s desire to share information to the benefit of those around him make him an admired and inspiring leader.