David Hietpas, library Web developer for Library Technology Services at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, has been named the recipient of the January STAR Award.
He was nominated by Maccabee Levine, Head of Library Technology Services.
Portions of David’s nomination follow:
“David Hietpas has dramatically improved the library’s online services since joining Polk Library, first as a STEP intern and then full-time after graduation. As our library Web developer, David has created a variety of new online tools that help students research and study, from group study room scheduling to dynamic library subject pages. David has also led our newer STEP interns in building additional student-requested services like the new quick library information kiosk at the main entrance. But beyond his contributions to library services, I’m nominating David for this award because of his larger commitment to helping others around the University and beyond — both by sharing his expertise and by using his software, built for library’s needs, to also support other units’ services.
“In late 2012, Ted Mulvey and other Polk librarians proposed building ANVIL (Active iNstructional Videos on Information Literacy), a fun combination of video tutorial and game that would help students learn the information literacy skills required for the new University Studies Program. David’s software code and Ted’s and Erin McArthur’s information literacy content went live in Fall 2013 and were used by more than 500 students in 40+ classes in that first term. David planned ahead, using common open source technologies so that the software could be used by other libraries for their own instruction, as well as other departments and universities with different content altogether. Since releasing the application as open source software, David has received interest from many campuses locally and across the country. David also built the ability for quiz writers to export and share their content with others, so that other institutions can benefit from our librarians’ information literacy content and we may benefit from theirs. Most recently, David was nominated for D2L’s Desire2Excel award for making it easy for students to submit completed quizzes to their D2L dropbox.
“Beyond ANVIL, David regularly assists other campus Plone developers through weekly confabs and mailing lists, and he shared a service built to locate course-specific library resources with Summer Session and College of Business for their own course listing needs. David is always willing to share his knowledge and his skills with others, while at the same time developing key online library services for the University community.”
The CSAC Awards & Recognition Committee submitted this announcement. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to contribute calendar items, campus announcements and other good news to UW Oshkosh Today.