Congratulations to the following September 2023 Employee of the Quarter winners:
Hamilton:
Alex Scales – 4 nominations
No matter how Alex’s day might be going, his only concern is his co-workers and patrons. He’s always helping– whether it be Cummins room research, pulling holds, shelving, job searches, circulation questions, or just making us smile. In the binding that is library work, Alex is the glue that holds it all together.
Alex hates to take credit for any of the good things he does, but he truly is a huge part of what makes Hamilton tick. Alex works hard helping with Cummins Room tasks, is great with our patrons (even though he claims not to be – he has several regulars that come in just for his help), and will lend a hand wherever needed. We love to give Alex a (lovingly) hard time around here, but we’d sure be sad without him!
Alex is one of the most diligent people I’ve ever known. He takes initiative to help patrons before they even ask for it, heading off much frustration and making patrons feel seen and supported. If he sees a problem, he makes sure to find a solution. He works in a variety of roles and is always willing to lend a hand and help his coworkers out when things get super busy. Alex is a joy to be around: patrons come in and ask for him by name. He’s also great at remembering our regulars and engaging them in conversation.
Alex Scales is one of, if not the most friendly staff member at LPL. He is always talking with kids and adult patrons, helping out whenever and however he can, and generally being a really fun person to be around.
Fairfield:
Danielle White – 2 nominations
Dani is a wonderful lady, she’s so much fun to talk to and she’s amazing with the patrons! I want to take a moment to recognize all of her hard work in circ and what a joy it is to be her coworker!
Dani is my WC partner and sounding board. I appreciate her dedication and opinions. Her work on the system wide Popcorn grams in February and the FFB Aloha candy grams made all staff feel special. We appreciate all she does!
Oxford/Smith:
Liz Franz – OXB
Liz Franz has been extremely busy since her arrival. Not only has she learned all about the reference department, she has created new and exciting possibilities for the patrons. During summer reading she developed the Summer Adventure Kits, which gave patrons a change to check out birdwatching equipment, road trip games and fun, and even a tent they could pitch in their backyards. Liz is very professional and efficient. She is sincerely pleasant and nice to be around.
LAC/BKM/Tech Center:
John Taggart – LAC
John is always a joy to see come in the door with deliveries. He is hard working and reliable. And he always wants to put a smile on everyone’s faces.
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:
Sammy Haven – 4 nominations
Sammy has been a fantastic addition to the Hamilton Branch. They have a positive attitude, are excellent with our patrons, and know SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE CITY. Sammy has come up with several interesting ideas for programs and is a joy to be around. They are reliable, hardworking, show dedication and respect to the job and our patrons. I hope for our sake they are here for many moons to come!
It is such a pleasure to work with Sammy! They are so often cheerful and ready to help in anything needed, either by co-worker or patron. Their “get-it-done” attitude is much appreciated!
Sammy has been an excellent addition to the LPL team since their arrival in Spring; they are capable, hard-working and kind. As they move into a Grade 3 position they have jumped in to planning upcoming Fall programming and we are excited to see the cool things they do!
Sammy is SUCH a kind soul. They are friendly, go out of their way to help you out, and always have amazing interactions with patrons! Sammy is truly one of the most welcoming and hardworking people I have ever met. I enjoy working with them immensely.
Shyann Thomas – 3 nominations
Shyann is so so sweet to our patrons. She is friendly and understanding of their needs. Shyann is patient and will guide them through anything they need help with. Sometimes working with the public can become frustrating, but when she is frustrated and ‘over it’ it does not show outwardly. She always keeps a smile on her face and a helpful attitude. Thank you, Shyann, for being a real sweetheart to some of our more difficult patrons, and for treating everyone you encounter with respect and kindness.
Shyann is really good at elevating workplace morale and making sure everyone is loving their time here at LPL. She does wonders with the wellness committee, helps others with ideas and feedback for their programs, and is always friendly and complimentary. Her enthusiasm for the job and her nurturing personality are infectious! She makes coming to work a joy!
Shyann is so fun and thoughtful. We appreciate all her hard work for the Wellness Committee.
Jennifer Albinus
Jennifer’s input and meticulous organization of the seed library and grow guides has been a big part of the successful growing season. She has vast knowledge to share of gardening prep, upkeep and maintenance.
Bernie Miranda – won in December 2022
Bernie’s enthusiastic spirit is such a great addition to the staff here at LPL! Her knowledge of plants and gardening is vast, and she has helped institute the raised bed gardens in the front of our branch, which are producing beautiful veggies~! She also is generous with gardening or house plant advice.
Cathy Hirsch
Cathy has been putting in a lot of work building a relationship with local Badin teens volunteering this summer, and setting up a ‘Book Buddies’ reading program for kids and the teens to participate in this fall to help kids increase reading confidence and skills. Cathy is enthusiastic, focused on programs and building relationships to make our kids happier and better, and a great example to staff of being dedicated to child-focused and research driven programming.
Michaela Perkins
Michaela’s participation on the Wellness Committee has been great! We love her enthusiasm and that great Ren Fest invitation 🙂
Fairfield:
Odalis Jimenez – 2 nominations
Odalis has been a joy to work with these past few years. We work well together and always seem to be on the same page when it comes to the Hispanic Heritage Festival. She’s always so busy, but is always willing to help out, especially if you are in a bad mental state. She deserves to be employee of the year if that was an option.
Once again, Odalis and her team created a memorable Hispanic Heritage Festival, adding new elements this year. It’s an enormous amount of heavy lifting that reflects our commitment to including all of our customers in our programs and collections. This is work that goes above and beyond our mission, and truly demonstrated why the Lane Libraries are special in a region where libraries are valued.
Jennifer Neborak
Jen is such a wonderful person to work with! We always have the BEST conversations while working. She is so wonderful for the patrons and always goes above and beyond for the patrons! She’s a circ rockstar and is always willing to give a second opinion on things!
Zinnia Mearns
Zinnia is so kind! She’s such a hard worker in circ and always does amazing work with the patrons! She is easily one of the nicest people I’ve ever met! She is so easy to work with and our hours together always fly by! She is amazing to have here!
April Huerta – 2 nominations – won December 2022
One again, April and her team created a memorable Hispanic Heritage Festival, adding new elements this year. It’s an enormous amount of heavy lifting that reflects our commitment to including all of our customers in our programs and collections. This is work that goes above and beyond our mission, and truly demonstrated why the Lane Libraries are special in a region where libraries are valued.
April has been a fantastic partner and co-organizer of the Hispanic Heritage Festival. Her attention to detail and organization skills have made all the difference. She’s also responsible for creating two amazing pieces of art, the art piece for 2023’s theme and the design that Unsung Salvage used for the event. We are very fortunate to have April as part of Lane’s staff, and I feel incredibly privileged to work alongside her.
Peter Bour
Peter always goes above and beyond providing excellent customer service to our patrons. In addition to that, Peter’s support and contribution this year, as well as every year, to the Hispanic Heritage Festival and Expo always makes a world of difference. He took it upon himself, once again, to lead the Photography and Videography Volunteer Team and make sure that every part of this meaningful event gets recorded. Peter is an invaluable colleague and individual and we appreciate him so very much!
Tamara Brooks
Tammy is a fantastic Children’s Librarian whose expertise and excellent work speaks for itself. Recently Tammy worked making sure our Kindergarten Readiness Kits were ready for patrons to use and enjoy. She was also a big help pulling books and award winners for the Children’s Hispanic Heritage Celebration Book Display. Tammy is always so helpful and encouraging, and such a joy to have as a colleague. We are so lucky to have her!
Oxford/Smith:
Akiko Urayama – OXB – 2 nominations
Akiko is an invaluable colleague. And her dedication to the Parkview Arms community this summer is admirable and has already had an obvious positive impact on the families there. The PVA kids and parents she saw every week this summer made her a lovely memory book and one mom even thanked her in it for inspiring her to start reading again.
Akiko has worked tirelessly to bring amazing programming to the teens of OXB and continued important outreach within the community all summer long. She’s an amazing coworker that is always offering help and advice where needed with a giant smile on her face!
Jackie Berberich – OXB
Jackie is always helpful and kind. And she’s so creative. She really creates a welcoming environment
Kevin Sequeira – OXB
Kevin is a valuable member of the Wellness Committee. He does a great job motivating staff at Oxford and helping the committee led activities.
Sasha Levine – OXB
Sasha has been a great addition to the Wellness Committee. She is enthusiastic, like to be well informed and it super organized! We are happy to have her on the team 🙂
Caroline Williams – OXB – 2 nominations
Caroline is always helpful and friendly. She has helped me out as a new person without seeming to be annoyed by my questions. She is always the first person to greet me and crack a joke.
Caroline is extremely personable and easy to talk to! She is also very knowledgeable about library procedures and is always ready to answer questions and help whenever anyone needs it!
LAC/BKM/Tech Center:
Virginia Phelps – LAC – 2 nominations
Virginia should really be acknowledged for her hard work. She is so incredibly organized, even when having to juggle multiple things at one time. She does so much for everyone at Lane and we are really lucky to have her.
Virginia is on top of everything! and is so good about sharing her knowledge and expertise. She regularly helps me with tracking and po status! I couldn’t do my job without her!
Amanda Chafin – Tech Center – won in September 2022
Without fail Amanda always is the first to jump up and help patrons. She diligently works on programs and videos to provide the best execution in conveying the knowledge she shares. She is dedicated to help find a solution for inquiring patrons even when it seems they have been met with road blocks or are at a dead end. She seems to pour from an endless cup of knowledge. – – sorry I don’t have a specific account in memory.
Sarah Turner – BKM
Sarah has been preparing for our return to schools with the Bookmobile by dividing in- demand titles and subjects among the schools we visit. It’s a lot of work, but makes restocking after school visits much easier, and helps ensure that we can spread popular titles a little more evenly among the students.
Lucy Hayes – LAC – won March 2023
Lucy is amazing! She’s great at keeping Wellness Committee activities organized for LAC. Thank you for all you do and for those yummy treats 🙂
Kenzie Fields – Tech Center
Kenzie is a great team member for the Wellness Committee. She designed great vinyl decals for staff winners of the Step Challenge. Kenzie, we appreciate you!
Emmitt Tallarigo – BKM
Emmitt helped me with an organization project I hadn’t been able to figure out for a very long time.