Last month, Collections Services celebrated our second ever mystery-themed Annual Staff Recognition Awards, complete with a taco bar and cupcakes. There were five categories of awards, highlighting everything from collaboration to coaching, and two winners in each category. Our winners took home literary mugs and gift cards.
The awards were as follows:
Nancy Drew Newcomers/New Skills Award
For the colleague who has demonstrated excellence and adaptivity this year in learning a NEW skillset (ahem, Alma)? Or for the NEW(ish)-to-DUL colleague who brings energy, curiosity, humility and a sense of adventure to their work. Who enhances the working lives of those around them through their fearless determination to learn the mysteries of Collections Services and get the job done no matter the stakes. Who perhaps is one of the few who can really pull off a neckerchief!
Nominees: Henry Hebert, Fouzia El Gargouri, Zhaneille Green, Zhuo Pan, Yaoli Shi, and Emily Sutton
Winners: Zhaneille Green and Yaoli Shi
Dr. Watson Collaboration & Outreach Award
For the colleague whose advice is sought out before any major undertaking. Whose quiet confidence means they never seek the spotlight, but you know, deep down, they deserve top billing. They’re a success in their own right, but their presence on a team virtually guarantees a break in the case. But, please, no pipe smoking in the library!
Nominees: Nancy Bachelder, Sara Biondi, Jessica Janecki, Yan Song, and Emily Sutton
Winners: Emily Sutton and Jessica Janecki
Miss Marple Creativity & Innovation Award
For the colleague who cannot let sleeping dogs lie. Who finds solutions before others even realize there are problems. They use their shrewd intelligence and capacious memory to divine out-of-the-box remedies for any genre of CS conundrum. The real culprits—likely the shadowy villains Mr. Inefficiency and Dr. Poor Communication—cannot rest with them on the case: no workflow is safe from their keen eye.
Nominees: Leeda Adkins, Dennis Christman, Alaina Deane, Fouzia El Gargouri, Jessica Janecki, Amelia Rodarte, and Yan Song
Winners: Alaina Deane and Dennis Christman
Benoit Blanc Leadership & Coaching Award
For the colleague whose guidance gets you through every riddle and puzzle you face at DUL. Despite the challenges of wacky vendors suspects, they never fail to empower less seasoned sleuths along the way to ingenious conclusions. With the patience of a saint and charm of a southern gentleman, they inspire us through their mentorship to tackle even the most impossible cases.
Nominees: Bethany Blankemeyer, Bronwyn Cox, Rachel Penniman, and Abby Wickes
Winners: Rachel Penniman and Bronwyn Cox
Jessica Fletcher Slow Librarianship Award
For the colleague who approaches every new task with the intellectual curiosity of a mystery writer. Through twists and turns, they barely break a sweat, as though they’re taking a relaxing bicycle ride along a picturesque coastline. It’s almost as though they’ve embraced the pace of a sleepy New England town, despite it looking like a literal crime scene around them. #cottagecore aesthetic encouraged but not required.
Nominees: Leeda Adkins, Bethany Blankemeyer, Jessica Janecki, and Jianying Shou
Winners: Leeda Adkins and Bethany Blankemeyer
Congratulations to all of our nominees and winners!