2023 Award Recipients – Utah Library Association

Librarian of the Year – Dan Compton

Dan Compton grew up in Green River, Wyoming. He earned his B.S. in Social Science from Westminster College in 2004 and his M.L.S. from the University of North Texas in 2008. He was hired as a Library Clerk at the Summit County Library in 2005 and became the Library Director in 2011. He served as President of the Utah Library Association from 2017-2018, and has also served as a Member-at-Large and on various other committees. Dan loves working in libraries and strives to make library services more accessible to the community. He is an avid Utah Jazz fan and lives with his wife and three children in West Jordan.

President’s Award – Daniel Mauchley

Daniel Mauchley is the Duchesne County Library System Director, overseeing the Duchesne and Roosevelt branches since 2015. He earned his MLS from Emporia State University and his Bachelor’s in Spanish Teaching from Weber State University with university and department honors. He worked three years in the Ogden School District as a district teacher librarian and as an elementary school librarian. He has served in the Utah Library Association as a Board Member-At-Large, the 2020-2021 President, and is currently the Bylaws Committee Chair and Past Presidents Committee Chair. He was part of the Mountain Plains Library Association 2023 Leadership Institute cohort. He has also served on various Utah State Library Division committees including the Community Library Enhancement Fund, Grant Review, and Online Library committees. Duchesne County Library System has been recognized by the Utah State Library Division with multiple Quality Library awards and a COVID-19 Exemplary Services award during his tenure thanks to the great work and improvements made by his dedicated staff. Daniel helped secure funding for and oversaw the construction of the new 16,700 square foot Roosevelt Branch, which opened February 2023. The system is also in a consortium with the Uintah County Library to better leverage collections and services in the Uintah Basin. Born in Layton, he lives in Roosevelt with his wife Emma and three young children.

Daniel expresses his deep gratitude to the Ogden School District and Duchesne County for taking a chance on him; to a great number of Utah library colleagues and friends who have patiently mentored and helped him succeed; and to his family who have sacrificed so much through it all.

Distinguished Service Award – Wanda Mae Huffaker

Wanda Mae Huffaker has been a public services librarian in Salt Lake County for over 27 years. She began her library career as a page 50 years ago at the Church History Library and Archives, and also worked for the Marriott Library while earning her Bachelors of Arts from the University of Utah and her Masters of Library and Information Science from Brigham Young University. She also worked at Utah State Archives following graduate school.

She chaired the ULA Intellectual Freedom Roundtable for over ten years, including collaborating with organizations to get “In Our Mother’s House” back on the shelf in Davis County. The ULA Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) received the first ALA Gerald Hodges Chapter Relation Award in 2013 for their roundtable efforts and success. She wrote an historical essay on the ULA IFC, “Freedom is a Dangerous Way of Life” in Utah Library Association: Essays in Honor of Its Centennial. She has served ALA by chairing several committees on the Intellectual Freedom Roundtable (IFRT), was elected as director-at-large and served as the 2020-2021 Chair. She served as a trustee for the Freedom to Read Foundation and is currently serving as the Immroth Award Committee Chair and as a member of the ALA IFC Privacy Subcommittee. In 2018, she received the Public Library Association’s Gordon Conable Award for Intellectual Freedom. She believes that libraries are based on the 1st Amendment and Free Speech, and everything we do is based on that principle. It doesn’t matter what our job is, or what aspect of librarianship we are conducting, it is about the freedom of people to seek and receive information without restriction.

Outreach Award – Meg Flynn

Meg Flynn has worked for the Grand County Public Library in Moab, Utah since 2010 and has worn many hats at the library including her current role as Assistant Director. In 2017, she earned a Master of Library Science degree from the University of North Texas as part of a Nevada-Utah Cohort. Meg is passionate about supporting digital literacy, challenging library policies that deny service, and bringing the library’s cargo book bike to local events. In her free time, she can usually be found boating somewhere on the Colorado Plateau or researching regional river history.

Legislative Champion Award – Representative Carol Spackman Moss

Representative Carol Spackman Moss was elected to the Utah House of Representatives in 2000 and just completed her 23rd legislative session, making her the longest serving female legislator in Utah history. Her professional background is in public education where she taught English and student government at Olympus High School for 33 years. She has a B.A. and M.A. in English, a minor in Library Science, and a certification in Education Administration from the University of Utah.

Rep. Moss ran for office to be an advocate for teachers and students and has passed many bills and appropriations to improve teaching and learning, including the first bullying and hazing law, a teacher mentoring program, Peer Assistance Review, and bills giving equal status to International Baccalaureate programs in granting college credit.

She has served on over a dozen committees and task forces and currently serves on Education, Economic Development and Workforce Services, Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology, and Public Education Appropriations, the Attorney General and Utah Department of Health Opioid Task Forces, and the Utah Marriage Commission.

In addition to public education, much of her work has focused on addressing the opioid epidemic, passing four laws to make the reversal drug Naloxone widely available and Good Samaritan laws to give immunity to those who call for help, plus providing resources to prevent suicide in county jails. She is passionate about supporting teachers, providing all students with opportunities to learn and thrive, and defending the freedom to read, speak, and learn without censorship from politicians and special interest groups.

Special Service to Libraries Award – Gregory Todd

Greg Todd has served on the Duchesne County Commission since 2015 but resigned in September 2022 to accept the appointment from Governor Cox to be his energy advisor and director of the Utah Office of Energy Development.

Prior to his public service, Director Todd spent decades of his career in the oil and gas industry, where he enjoyed working in various states and leading multiple innovative projects.

Director Todd recently moved to South Jordan to be closer to work, making it the first time he’s permanently lived in the Wasatch Front. He holds a bachelor of science degree in elementary/physical education from Brigham Young University.

In his free time, Greg enjoys watching all levels of sports, from high school to professional. Living in rural Utah for most of his life, he became an avid fly fisherman and enjoys the outdoor life that Utah has to offer. Among all else, he loves spending time with his wife and family, especially the grandchildren.

Special Recognition Award – Julie Heckert

Julie has been a public relations professional, a massage therapist, and a dedicated domestic engineer. But one of her greatest joys has been to be a librarian. For the past 29 years she has worked at the Orem Public Library in a variety of positions from volunteer storyteller, to assistant librarian in circulation, children’s, media, and general reference. After working for more than seven years as the associate librarian of general reference, supervising and training staff, and serving patrons, she is now associate librarian of cataloging and digital services. Working in technical services has added a new set of library skills to her repertoire. Presently, her assignments include cataloging, digital resource management, and collection development for genre romance as well as managing the library’s content for Overdrive. Julie is passionate about helping others develop their library skills and she assists coworkers through Orem Library’s mentor program. She is associated with the Children’s Literature Association of Utah and is a member of ALA and ULA where she serves as the program coordinator for ULA’s Paraprofessional Certificate Program. She earned an MLIS degree from Valdosta State University. Julie and Brian, her husband of 36 years, have three children and six grandchildren. They like to cook, travel, hike and read together.

Outstanding Staff Award – Alexis Alires

Alexis Alires is a Circulation Supervisor for the Salt Lake County library system with 32 years of experience working for the County library. Alexis has worked as a Page/Shelver, Customer Service Specialist, Records clerk, Library Assistant, and currently a Circulation Supervisor. Alexis has helped move and open four libraries in the County library system, and was a central selector for Pop, Rock and Rap music for 15 years. Alexis specializes in many things. He is an Integrated Library System software instructor, point of sale system instructor, American Heart Association Heartsaver CPR & AED facilitator, process mapping trainer, automated library sorter machine trainer, fiscal auditor for daily deposit paperwork, and purchase card auditor. Alexis is a guiding force in the workplace and uses his positive attitude and energy to encourage others to work hard and succeed. He strives to make a positive difference in the lives of our patrons and in the lives of our staff. Alexis is inspired by his wife and three children, his three cats, and three dogs. In his free time, Alexis likes to fish, camp, and work in his yard.