Mary Ton, Assistant Professor and Digital Humanities Librarian, is a recipient of the 2025 Library Journal “Movers and Shakers” Award for Educators. This award is given by Library Journal to up-and-coming individuals from around the world who are innovative, creative, and helping to improve their library and community.
Ton is recognized for her work teaching researchers and students about the benefits and limitations of AI in research and the arts, drawing on her background in machine learning. Her contributions include designing a popular workshop series about AI and developing a Canvas module to help instructors set rules around AI use in the classroom. Ton is also working alongside Bethany Anderson and Kristen Wilson to amplify the contributions of women in STEM through the Library’s domestic science collection, in a project titled “No Longer at the Margins.”
Commenting on this achievement, Ton shares, “I’m deeply honored to receive this award and grateful to be one among many in our library who are engaging with AI. Special thanks are due to Ayla Stein Kenfield, Jen-chien Yu, and everyone who contributed to the nomination.” Congratulations to Ton on this well-deserved recognition!
This spring, Heather Murphy, Chief Communications Officer, received the Chancellor’s Staff Excellence Award (CSEA). Since her promotion to the Library’s first Chief Communications Officer (CCO) position in 2017, Murphy has positively transformed the University Library’s communications strategy and helped foster stronger connections between the Library and its many audiences, including students, faculty, alumni, and the broader public. Her leadership has been central to award-winning communication campaigns, the implementation of accessible design standards, the coordination of media relations and crisis communications, and the management of the Library’s social media, digital signage, and newsletters. Her efforts ultimately make accessing library services, events, and new resources easier, fostering a more informed and engaged academic community.
Heather has proven adept at creating award-winning communications that showcase the Library’s strengths. A notable example is the “Campaign to Transform the University Library: The Next Page of the Campus Story” video, which won the 2022 Association of Research Libraries’ Film Festival Award for “Best Publicity/Marketing” and a 2022 Silver Telly Award in the “General-Educational Institution – Non-Broadcast” category. Moreover, she transformed the Library’s annual reports into functional and visually stunning calendars, showcasing images of Library collections alongside key achievements. This redesign significantly increased donor engagement and earned three Circle of Excellence Awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), one of the largest international associations of educational institutions.
Murphy is noted for her commitment, attention to detail, and resourcefulness. As a colleague, mentor, and leader, Heather fosters an inclusive, supportive environment where her colleagues feel truly valued. Associate Chancellor Robin Kaler noted, “Heather has served on the CCO leadership group for years, and she always offers a thoughtful, wise perspective when we are discussing shared challenges and opportunities. Her colleagues across campus seek her counsel on a variety of issues…She is always responsive, kind, and helpful…She is a true partner and a valued colleague.” Murphy, who last fall received the Library’s Outstanding Academic Professional Award, was honored at an April 23 campus presentation, along with 15 other recipients of CSEA awards. Along with the recognition, the designation comes with a $1,500 cash award.
Nine University Library Instructors were named in the University of Illinois List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students for Fall 2024. This list is released each semester, and results are based on the ratings from the Instructor and Course Evaluation System (ICES) maintained by Measurement and Evaluation in the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning. Only those instructors who gave out ICES forms during the semester and who released their data for publication are included in the list.
The Library is central to the University of Illinois’ mission of teaching, research, and public service. It is one campus unit that serves all academic disciplines. Therefore, Library faculty and staff serve as instructors across a wide variety of departments.
Faculty and instructors ranked on this list include:
Stephanie Luke, Assistant Professor and Metadata Librarian at the University Library, holds an MA in English and an MLIS in rare book and manuscript librarianship, both from Indiana University-Bloomington. Her research centers on the ethical description and equitable access of cultural heritage materials in GLAM institutions. She currently serves as Reviews Co-Editor of American Archivist.
