Kelly Delevan, information literacy librarian with Syracuse University Libraries, has been selected as the 2024 recipient of the Libraries’ Distinguished Service Award. The award was presented at the Libraries’ holiday and recognition event on Dec. 19.
Kelly Delevan, at right, information literacy librarian and recipient of the 2024 Libraries’ Distinguished Service Award, is pictured with David Seaman, dean of Libraries and University librarian.
The award is a three-decade tradition recognizing Libraries’ staff who have made a significant contribution to both the Libraries and the broader University community. A cross-departmental panel of Libraries’ staff judged nomination entries and selected the recipient based on outstanding service to Libraries’ users, excellence in professional skills and significant contributions to the Libraries’ community. The Distinguished Service Award, which is open to all Libraries employees, allows peer recognition based on nominations, a recommendation from the person’s supervisor and recommendations from at least two members of the University community.
Delevan was selected as this year’s winner based on her strong and persistent commitment to excellence in education, mentorship and advancement of the field of library and information science. Delevan rebuilt and revitalized the Libraries’ instruction program, while championing information literacy as a shared competency for undergraduate students. She has fostered a culture of critical thinking while helping undergraduates build research skills and information fluency.
Delevan’s campus collaborations with the Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement (SOURCE) and First Year Seminar have been incredibly impactful for undergraduate students. She developed workshops for students applying for SOURCE grants that include goal setting and project planning, skills important beyond their SOURCE participation. She also created a customized library research guide for First Year Seminar students that is now has a required assignment in all 200+ sections of the course. Additionally, Delevan created an online library tutorial for more than 90 athletic tutors to complete, which helps them better prepare the University’s student athletes.
Graduate students have also benefited from the Information Literacy Scholars program Delevan created that provides School of Information Studies students with substantive experiential learning opportunities, including instructional design. To date, twenty-four graduate students have benefited directly from Delevan’s knowledge, support and encouragement. learning by example and guidance how to become successful instructors.
Beyond engaging students at all levels, Delevan created a faculty professional development program, Information Literacy and Technological Agility (ILTA), to share with faculty how to incorporate these skills into their syllabi. This successful program is co-sponsored by Academic Affairs.
Collectively, these initiatives have established Delevan as a campus leader and beyond, with her workshops, lectures and writings widely recognized in the field of library and information studies and information literacy.
A past Information Literacy Scholar summarized Delevan’s work in this way: “Everything she does for her IL Scholars, for the students they teach together, and for our library community as a whole, without any expectation of recognition, makes her the perfect candidate for this award.”
