Pictured Above: Kaya Van Beynen was selected to win the award “for her decade-long service” by the Education and Behavioral Sciences Section of the American Library Association.
Courtesy of USF St. Petersburg
By Candice Lovelace
Kaya Van Beynen, associate dean of library research and instruction at USF, received the Education and Behavorial Sciences Section Distinguished Education and Behavioral Sciences Librarian Award last week.
According to the American Library Association, “this award honors a distinguished academic librarian who has made an outstanding contribution as an education and/or behavioral sciences librarian through accomplishments and service to the profession.”
The EBSS, according to an email announcement from library dean Catherine Cardwell, “exists to serve the common interests of education and behavioral sciences librarians” and covers “a host of issues in the areas of library instruction, applications of technology, collection development, library management, and communication of research findings in education and behavioral sciences librarianship.”
The $2,500 award is sponsored by the American Psychological Association.
Since joining EBSS, Van Beynen has implemented new programs and led the research section.
According to Vvan Beynen, she does a lot of management, organization, communication, and problem solving.
“Van Beynen was selected for her decade-long service to EBSS, strong record of scholarship and successful implementation of exemplary programs,” an email release on March 1 said.
She didn’t even know she had been chosen to receive this award until the co-chair of the awards committee sent her a text wondering why she hadn’t accepted the award. A month’s worth of email notifications had gone to her USF email quarantine.
“I’m a librarian and a behind-the-scenes kind of person, so really, it’s a bit weird,” Vvan Beynen said in an email to The Crow’s Nest on receiving this award.
As proud as she was to receive this award, she remained humble.
“It’s awesome and it makes me proud, but there are also so many good librarians out there that deserve the recognition more than I,” Van Beynen said.
She was nominated by a librarian that she admires and selected by respected colleagues.
Beynen has been associate dean of library research and instruction since July 2020 and has been at USF St. Petersburg for 18 years.
