Congratulations to the following June 2024 Employee of the Quarter winners:
HAMILTON:
Sammy Haven – 3 nominations
Sammy Haven is detail-oriented, sunny, thorough, helpful, and in every way a delight to work with. Whether it’s a patron having printing difficulties or a co-worker having a bad day, Sammy takes care of everything. I have no idea how we ever got along without Sammy.
Sammy is an AMAZING co-worker, and they always go above and beyond while helping patrons. They make the library an amazing place to work, and we all appreciate them very much. 🙂
Sammy has really jumped in to different types of programming for both youth and adults, and it is very exciting to see what kinds of things they are bringing to our patrons. From varied topics such as history of the Negro Baseball League, to riddles and scavenger hunts, to outdoor athletics in the park this summer– they are so very smart and fun!
FAIRFIELD:
Laura Barnette – 3 nominations
Laura really stepped up to take care of patrons that were made uncomfortable by another patron in the building. She acted quickly to get them away from the man (who was later spoken to and asked to leave), and ensured that they were okay, felt safe, and knew we were here to help. I want to thank and commend Laura for her quick thinking and for taking care of our patrons!!
Laura should be recognized for the work both she and Jenn S have put into the Gardening program here at FFB this spring. They worked together to present on container gardening and had good feedback from those who attended. Laura always makes sure to support programming with a display of books to highlight out collection.
Laura stepped in to assist with an ongoing CoC concern with a recent patron. Her quick thinking to assist two patrons who were met with an uncomfortable situation was an excellent example of spur of the moment problem solving and experience. The patrons were grateful for her help.
OXB/SMITH:
Sasha Levine – OXB
Sasha’s innovative programming related to the Noble Game of Chess requires me to nominate her this quarter. Of note is her on-going active chess match display, where patrons compete over the board at Oxford. Bravo.
LAC/BKM/TECH CENTER:
Hanna Rhodis – Tech Center – 3 nominations
Hanna is always coming up with great ideas. Whether it is seasonal designs for our 3D print jar, new programs, or practical storage solutions, Hanna is always on top of things. Recently, she and a co-worker came up with a great idea for repurposing former employees’ old nametags. By removing the old name with acetone and then using the label maker to add their own names, staff can now wear name tags! She has also worked very hard to learn new skills (like resin printing) and even joined the C-Team. Her hard work is greatly appreciated.
Hanna is the Tech Center’s go to person when it comes to the Cricut machines and more recently, our new sublimation printer. She’s always ready to teach not only patrons, but staff members as well when it comes to these machines. Hanna often comes up with new ideas for making the Tech Center more efficient and organized, something that is very appreciated!
Hanna helped us move heavy furniture up from the basement. Before we did that, she took measurements and came up with solid plans for the placement of each piece. She knew exactly where we could best utilize our old storage solutions in our new space. Thank you, Hanna!
Congratulations to this quarter’s winners! Each winner will receive their choice of 4 hours of vacation or a $50 gift card.
Congratulations to the following nominees:
HAMILTON:
Evan Northcutt
Evan assisted with the boxing of multiple carts of deleted McNs. I projected that could have taken several days only took a couple hours!
Shyann Thomas
Shyann is SO good with our youth! She always makes sure they’re doing okay, taking the time to talk to each one individually and help them with any problems they have. She remembers things about everyone, making everyone feel welcomed and seen. Many of our kids cite Shyann as their favorite employee because she always greets them with a smile, goes above and beyond for them, and makes them feel cared for! Shyann is also a fantastic coworker, always willing to help with anything needed and always ensuring that her coworkers are as cared for as the kids are!
Jennifer Albinus
Jennifer is extremely hardworking, always willing to sub on shifts needed. She is a fantastic member of the ref team and seems to always be working hard on property searches and other history inquiries. She also takes the time to make others feel welcomed and is always willing to go the extra mile to make sure patrons are taken care of.
Jeff Baker
Our teens adore Jeff! He does such a good job of relating to them and making sure they enjoy their library experience. Kids often get sad when they are here and Jeff is not. And any program Jeff leads, the kids flock to! He does a great job of making sure the library is a cool place for the kids to be, bringing them back again and again! He’s also super easy to work with and is always in a good mood and willing to help any and all patrons who need him. He’s pretty much a steady rock here at LPL.
Alexia West
Alexia has really stepped up at LPL now that her college workload has wound down. She has recently taken on helping with McNaughton processing and works really hard to help us keep up with new deliveries of McN’s. She also recently got promoted to a Grade 3 position and has taken added duties with that. Alexia is always so sweet to patrons and ensures that they get the help they need. She’s a joy to work with!
Kenzie Rouse
Kenzie works hard to make sure that all patrons feel like they are being listened to and that their needs are being met.
Tess Catlin
Tess is such a reliable co-worker; willing to help others learn new tasks, explain digital services and grant processes with patrons, talk ‘book shop’ with patrons, and explain how our Seed Library works to all. We’re very appreciative that she is a member of our team!
Morgan Abrams
Morgan is always attentive and kind with patrons. I’ve witnessed her patiently and sweetly hold a conversation with a man with a stutter. She never tried to guess what he was trying to say or rush him along. She patiently waited for his brain to allow him to say what he was trying to say and then responded. She’s always knowledgeable and goes above and beyond to help patrons.
FAIRFIELD:
Chris Esposito – 3 nominations
Chris is one of the most patient person I’ve ever known. He knows how to handle any situation in the children’s room, teen zone, and even difficult adult patrons. He’s considerate and willing to help his peers. He also does all this with a newborn, graduate school, and a hyper golden retriever at home. He deserves all the recognition!
Chris stepped in to assist with an ongoing CoC concern with a recent patron. He was polite but firm to resolve that situation. Well done.
Chris should be recognized for his willingness to always work with others and answer any question you throw at him. He’ll always help with a program and has helped me with designing the board, learning how to use cricket and so much more. He’s great to work with and more than deserves a nomination.
Brittney Houchins – 2 nominations – won in March 2024
Brittney deserves to be nominated for many reasons, she’s a caring person who’s there to provide support whenever it’s called upon her. Whenever I’ve had a rough day, she’s always there to listen, and provide some much needed advice. As well as amazing at handling difficult situations, even walking two young girls to their car when they felt unsafe. Those are just a few reasons why she deserves to be nominated.
Brittney is always alert and provides excellent customer service. She assisted Laura with the recent patron concern and made sure two other patrons felt safe as they left the library. Thank you for your kindness.
Heidi Patterson
Heidi did all of the heavy-lifting in the Evanced>LibraryCalendar move, on top of managing the new LibraryMarket public site. It was a big, relatively fast-paced project and her work should be recognized. Thanks Heidi.
Josh Cardona
Josh has been a reliable part of our team. He has brought a good attitude and strong work ethic every day. It has been a pleasure working with Josh as he has helped so many things in so many parts of our branch. We are lucky to have Josh here.
OXFORD/SMITH:
Akiko Urayama – OXB
She always has amazing ideas, is very inspiring, and is willing to assist others. She makes coming to work even more fun and enriching.
Kylie Rice – OXB
Kylie jumped right into our branch and fit in seamlessly! She is so sweet and a very hard worker! We’re glad to have her on the team! 🙂
LAC/BKM/TECH CENTER:
Savannah Bryant – Tech Center – 2 nominations
Savannah is a real life saver at the TC. Recently, she was instrumental in fixing a calibration issue with the Graphtec. Further, she and another co-worker came up with a great idea for repurposing former employees’ old nametags. By removing the old name with acetone and then using the label maker to add their own names, staff can now wear name tags! Both of these are demonstrations of her excellent problem-solving skills!
She has done a great job jumping right in on the attempts to increase our youth focused programs with a variety of take and makes. She always brings a variety of programs to our patrons that keep them excited to come back. She recently received a shout out from a patron who greatly appreciated her time and her knowledge when she was having troubles.
Penny Brown – LAC
Penny commands the whole SearchOhio/OhioLINK process like a boss. I am frequently astonished by the quantity of materials she processes, and appreciate her consistent effort.
Emmett Tallarigo – BKM
Emmett has been beyond helpful and patient to me in helping me learn the ropes of the Bookmobile department. He’s helpful with technical questions, basic protocol, and really helpful with driving the Bookmobile. I am so grateful to have people like Emmett to help me out.
Tom Tierney – BKM
Tom helps BKM supervisor Fran Meyer manage the accounts of roughly 100 outreach patrons, plus visits to multiple senior community centers and assisted living facilities. The job involves personally managing the accounts of outreach patrons and in many cases choosing their books, DVDs, and other materials based on the individual patron’s tastes. For home delivery patrons, Tom is a welcome visitor and a genuine friend to a number of the people he serves. I’ve filled in as a route driver for Tom on a few occasions, and it’s clear that his patrons genuinely enjoy seeing him and talking with him. On a few occasions, Tom has visited patrons in his off hours to help with projects around their homes or he has helped patrons find people or organizations who can help them with problems they’re having. The BKM outreach services are an important part of the department’s work, and Tom’s contribution is significant and valued.
Margaret Winstead – LAC
Margaret is taking on and innovating new solutions to help streamline our acquisitions process. It’s been soooo helpful! She’s always willing to help, and also tries to see the effects of each change to all of our processes here in Tech Services!
Mike Busam – BKM
Mike volunteered to come to the TC and help us move some heavy furniture up from the basement. He’s helping with Brad’s missing history project. He keeps the teen writing contest committee organized. He’s always cheerfully volunteering to lend a hand to any project Lane can throw at him. His efforts are greatly appreciated!
Matt Leffler – LAC
Matt volunteered to come to the TC and help us move some heavy furniture up from the basement. He’s very organized and efficient and always very friendly. He helps us out a lot – in ways big and small – and we all very much appreciate his efforts.