WHSLA Librarian of the Year - Brenda Fay, Librarian Specialist at Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center in Milwaukee, WI

WHSLA Librarian of the Year: Brenda Fay

By Michele Matucheski, WHSLA President

At the WHSLA Board Meeting on Friday, October 19, 2018, at Todd Weir Library at The Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, I had the honor to present our own Brenda Fay with the prestigious WHSLA Librarian of the Year Award.

This award is bestowed upon a professional (MLS or equivalent) Librarian in recognition of outstanding leadership, achievement and commitment to the library profession. It is awarded to a Librarian who is currently employed in a Wisconsin health science library and must be an active member of WHSLA.

Brenda is one of the most active members we have!

Karen Hanus and Barb Ruggeri nominated Brenda and had these kind words to say about her (submitted June 2018):

Brenda Fay is truly a valuable member of the health sciences library profession. Brenda has taken on multiple roles within WHSLA. 

·         She launched our WHSLA Blog in 2016, thereby transforming our WHSLA Newsletter and communications.

·         She’s been managing our WHSLA Website for several years.

·         She was co-chair of our first annual WHSLA Web Conference in the fall of 2017.

·         She is currently co-chair of the 2019 combined WHSLA/Midwest Chapter-Medical Library Association Meeting scheduled for Fall of 2019.

·         She is currently President-Elect of WHSLA and soon-to-be President in 2019.

When Brenda was interviewed for the WHSLA Spotlight, she said she was very “wishy-washy” over what major to choose. A vocational test suggested that she either become a Librarian, biologist, or chemist.  She earned a degree in conservation biology, but after working in a public library and high school library, she realized that she wanted to become a Librarian.  She came to Aurora after working in a public library.  That started her path in health sciences librarianship.

Brenda can always be counted upon to offer great ideas and provide positive energy and vitality to any project.  One example is her enthusiasm for Graphic Medicine.  In 2011, she attended a graphic novel conference in Chicago.  After that, she started following blogs and thought about how it could be applied to her work as a health science librarian.  The result was that she developed and taught an honors course at Marquette University on Graphic Medicine-Illness, Disease and Health in Comics.  She later presented a brief version for WHSLA – after which I purchased all the recommended graphic medicine titles for my own Library. 😉

Brenda is collegial, thoughtful, dedicated, and always finds ways to give back to our profession.  She is very deserving of the WHSLA Librarian of the Year Award. 

This award is one that our administrators and non-Librarian health care colleagues will recognize for quality and excellence.  It’s great PR for the recipient and our profession.

Congratulations, Brenda!  We’re so glad you are part of WHSLA!

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Left to Right : Karen Hanus, Brenda Fay, and Barb Ruggeri

Michele Matucheski, WHSLA President, present Brenda with the award