During Andrea’s 20 years of dedicated service, her job description has changed several times due to changes in personnel and the shift away from print materials to electronic resources in libraries. Andrea started out as a serials claiming clerk, then moved into acquisitions, and eventually became the law cataloging specialist, which required extensive training. She is always willing to learn new tasks and make adjustments as personnel and technology changes. Andrea is detail-oriented, which is essential in the technical services department of the Law Library. Her work is of the highest quality. Mistakes in her job would create problems throughout the entire ecosystem of the library, leading to lost materials, incorrect records, and more difficulties. Other librarians rely on and trust her work. She is also an excellent editor. Andrea is the very definition of a team player. She is flexible and willing to help wherever she is needed, even with tasks outside her personal job responsibilities. Her attitude is positive and upbeat. In addition to doing her own work, she has covered for other employees during vacations, illnesses, and surgeries. When there are challenges related to the collection or technical services, Andrea is an excellent sounding board. She is always willing to patiently talk through all sides of a problem before coming to a decision. She is humble, open to input and direction from others, and never seeks to impose her own preferences. We all benefit from her friendship and kindness.
Transitioning from acquisitions to a cataloging specialist is a huge ask for a technical services employee. Few librarians have basic cataloging knowledge anymore, much less the competence to catalog challenging legal materials. At a time in her career when she could have been satisfied to maintain the status quo in her position, Andrea willingly enrolled in multiple cataloging training courses. She also meets regularly with librarians in the Lee Library and with the Law Library’s retired cataloger to continue honing her skills. Early in her tenure as a cataloger, she discovered a problem with record loading that was not her fault. She worked with others to find a solution to a complex problem. We have been very fortunate that she was willing to take on these new duties and develop a rare and specialized skillset.
Andrea cares about creating a positive work environment and developing unity and belonging among her coworkers and student employees. To foster connection among students with disparate work schedules, she implemented an interactive bulletin board in her department to spotlight student employees. The board also solicits responses to a monthly question, such as, “What was your favorite talk from General Conference?” Andrea is a kind and generous friend to coworkers as well. She regularly brings in treats and holiday decorations and brightens the office with her holiday-themed outfits. She remembers birthdays and sometimes brings a small gift for someone just because she thinks they will enjoy it.