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The University created this award in 1997 to acknowledge the importance of
activities beyond teaching and learning, particularly mentoring beyond the
classroom. Dean Smith was the first winner of the award and exemplifies the
qualities that this award honors. The award comes with $1,000 and a framed
citation.
Ridley Kessler
* Title: Documents Librarian and Assistant Head of Reference; Adjunct
Professor, School of Information and Library Science
* Faculty member since: 1970
* Other Carolina awards: Distinguished Alumni Award from the School of
Information and Library Science, 1996
Excerpts from the citation: Ridley R. Kessler Jr. has taught has taught the
arcana of government documents to hundreds of aspiring librarians.
He encourages students to become involved in professional associations, and
those who attend meetings of the American Library Association are assured of
being introduced widely to librarians and federal officials involved with
government publishing. One student said she found herself at the center of very
influential and interesting people because of Ridley.
His former students regularly gather at professional meetings to share their
experiences and common bond to their mentor. They call themselves "Ridley's
Refugees" because they are scattered across the continent. Not all of them met
him first in the classroom, however. The documents librarian at Rice
University, for example, was a sophomore at Carolina who needed to earn pocket
money. She chanced to find employment in the library, working for Ridley. She
found his enthusiasm so infectious that she changed her career plans and
decided to become a librarian.
Teaching style/philosophy: "I have tried to mentor library science students by
helping them to understand the profession. I have helped them with resumes,
interview techniques, discussed professional ethics and behavior. I have
advised them on positions, goals, management and administrative styles, and
helped them in any way to become better and more active professional
librarians."