91´«Ã½

The W. David Rozkuszka Scholarship was created in 1994 in memory of David Rozkuszka, a former Documents Librarian at Stanford University. Its purpose is to provide financial assistance to an individual who is currently working with government information in a library and is trying to complete a masters' degree in library science. The 2005 scholarship recipient of the W. David Rozkuszka Scholarship is Julia Tanis Sayles, who is currently enrolled as a graduate student in the Library and Information Sciences Department at the University of South Florida. She has been employed as the Senior Library Technical Assistant in the Government Documents Depository Library at the University of South Florida since January 2000. In this position she is involved in the processing, cataloging, and collection development of all the collections in the library, including the Patent Library, the State of Florida depository, and the U.S. Federal depository. She also provides reference service and supervises student assistants.

Julia has worked for the University of South Florida for 18 years---in the Media Center, Serials Department, Acquisitions Department, and, for the last four years, the Government Documents/Reference Department. It was the influence and dedication of Cheryl McCoy, her supervisor and mentor, and coincidently Head of the Government Documents/Reference, in providing government information to users, and the transformation of the depository and government information landscape, that led her to apply and be accepted as a graduate student in the Library and Information Sciences Department at the University of South Florida. She has investigated and followed the issues surrounding the transition to an electronic depository, some of which are the archiving of electronic information, the ability to easily suppress or withhold information, and the elimination of the depository program as it currently exists.

Julia’s long-term goals are to incorporate her experience and skills with the changes that are occurring in libraries. She is interested in knowing how people find and use information in a changing environment and in finding a balance between creating physical library environments and virtual environments.

Supervisors and colleagues note that Julia is an accomplished member of the Government Documents/Reference Department. She possesses an in-depth understanding of the depository program, capably and confidently assists patrons in the use of the collections, manages the transition from manual processing to subscription tape loads efficiently, and supervises students in a complex shelf reading project. Her letters of support indicate a high regard for her talent, knowledge, interpersonal skills, curiosity, and thoughtfulness in all aspects of her work.

Julia expects to receive her degree in July 2006. Although she does not yet know what type of library setting she will choose, she looks forward to working in a library as a professional where she can be part of a dynamic setting that integrates the physical and virtual information environments.