5 Years
DANA HOUSTON:
Dana if you could see my face right now, you’d see a look of gratitude. She has been with the Ellis Security Department for the past three years. The best Security officer ever! She comes in early and stays late when needed to help pitch in and get things done. Furthermore she does this all with a fantastic attitude and willing disposition. Just a few of many words about Dana:  Strong, hardworking, robust, flexible, on time, kind, soft spoken, tireless and a true southern girl. Thank you Dana for your hard work and dedication to MU Libraries and congratulations on fve years of services.
–Pat Jones

KELLI HANSEN:
Among my colleagues and coworkers Kelli is one of the best. She is a Print Materials librarian, her job assignment is challenging and complex, her accomplishments are as numerous as they are astounding. Kelli is our webmaster, she manages the department’s social media outreach, including developing content for Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and the Special Collections blog. Her approach to the Primary Sources is innovative in the way it treats access, as well as research and teaching. I can list many other achievements, but I also would like to point up her personal qualities in just a few examples of many: when one of our student assistants was sick, she brought her chicken soup; she was the first to run to the emergency room when our grad, riding a bicycle, was hit by a truck; and she is the first to offer help to her colleagues and to our patrons. She does it quietly and selflessly. She is a star librarian.
–Alla Barabtarlo

10 Years
COLLEEN SMITH:
Colleen catalogs a wide variety of subjects and materials including books, DVDs, and theater programs carefully and expeditiously as well as creating national name authority records to guide our users to our resources. Over the years, she has worked in various units within the Department and on multiple projects. In addition, Colleen has 11 years of prior service to MU Libraries before returning to the Cataloging & Metadata Department in 2006. Colleen is always willing to pitch in and help out, be it a project or a special event. We have often wished we could clone her, but have yet to develop the technology.  
–Wayne Sanders

MATHEW STEPHEN:
Most people know of Mathew through his work on the Library website, but he has worked on almost every system in the library. From his work Account Create program for non affiliate access to computers, to configuring Z39.50, you don’t have to look far to see a system that has benefited from his touch. Mathew is extremely reliable, dedicated, and unlike many in his field very laid back. It is clear that in his 10 years of service Mathew has made MU Libraries a better place.
–Ernest Shaw

STARA HERRON:
Over the past 10 years, Stara has proven herself to be an indispensable addition to the Electronic Resources Unit. She is the Ying to my Yang, providing the balance necessary to get the job done and done well. And I fully expect her to stay right where she’s at, there to my right (at least until I retire).
–Dave Walsh

SHARON GAUGHAN:
Sharon Gaughan is creative, exhibits excellent problem-solving skills, and possesses a generosity of spirit.  Her background in computer programming acts as a lens, allowing Sharon to maximize the computer programs (e.g., excel, access) that we use in Physical Processing to improve efficiencies. She possesses exceptional craftsmanship and takes pride in the quality of the book repair she performs. Sharon always works to the best of her ability and skills, be it working on the computer, teaching a student assistant, or repairing a book. She is a much valued member of the Physical Processing Team.  
–Michaelle Dorsey

ABBIE BROWN:
Abbie has been a stalwart warrior in our battles against rising journal and database costs. Her work on behalf of the MERLIN libraries has saved us millions of dollars over the years. She has also taken on governance work and done other service as she successfully made the transition to her librarian status.
–Ann Riley

RALPH SIELI:
Ralph is a wonderful frontline assistant. He interacts well with library patrons and goes the extra mile to trouble shoot and ensure they get what they need. Ralph is a good resource person for our student workers to consult when they have questions. Ralph is also good at noticing when things are amiss with the building or with a process and passing those on to be fixed. Thanks for your hard work in keeping the Circulation Desk running smoothly, Ralph!
–Terri Hall

ADRIENNE ARDEN:
It was a fortunate day when Adrienne Arden was assigned to the Digital Services Department when it was formed in 2013. Since then she has taken the lead in harvesting and uploading content to MOspace, and has been involved in many other projects related to MOspace and the MU Digital Library. Her patience, thoroughness, and pursuit of excellence ensure that when a project is complete, problems have been resolved and project notes are complete. A few of the words that describe her are user-focused, adaptable, enthusiastic, and committed to success. Her enthusiasm for helping complete work that needs to get done —whether it is mundane or new and exciting—is a major strength. She participates in developing and testing new processes and has helped the department move forward in its work. In addition to her day-to-day work, Adrienne selflessly contributes to the MU Libraries’ environment through MULSA activities, including Ellis Library staff room cleaning, book sorting, and help with social events. A big thanks are due to Adrienne for the valuable contributions she has made in her ten years at MU Libraries and her two-and-a-half years in the Digital Services Department!
–Felicity Dykas

15 Years
DEBBIE MELVIN:
During my seven months working with Debbie, I found her to be cheerful and to get along well with staff. She is very courteous to patrons. She rarely misses a day at work.
–Ivy Hui

SEAN WITZMAN:
Sean has a great work ethic and exudes the admirable characteristic of being patron-centered in all his actions. He is always willing to go the extra mile for patrons ordering DDA or waiting on a notify, working with selectors, and rushing orders. The amount of work he does is immense and can be intense, but he always pulls through and gets it done. Thank you.
–Corrie Hutchinson

WAYNE SANDERS:
I have only been Wayne’s supervisor for a short time, but it has been evident since day one that he is a great asset to this library. His knowledge of cataloging is vast and he brings consistency, competency, and calm to complex situations. He is truly a great member of the team. Thank you.  
–Corrie Hutchinson

JACK STONE:
I’d like express my appreciation for Jack’s 15 years of service for the MU Libraries. Jack is the most tenacious book searcher in the library system. He has as much interest in the library’s collection and acquisitions as most librarians and faculty. He has also been the main mentor for training our unit’s ever changing roster of students. He goes to great lengths to help both our students and patrons learn to read call numbers and use the library so they can take advantage of our vast assortment of books.  
–Ryan Bish

20 Years
LIBBY MYRE:
Libby is an invaluable member of the serials team. Her deep institutional knowledge, foreign language skills, willingness to take on new projects, desire to learn about her job and expand her perspective makes her a great employee. Serials is a complicated world and not one everyone understands or enjoys. We are lucky to have Libby to help us through it. Thank you.
–Corrie Hutchinson

REBECCA GRAVES:
It is a pleasure working with Rebecca every day. She is a consummate networker, and one of the best ambassadors we have for our library. I recently ran across this description showing what we should all be striving for, and it describes Rebecca to a T: Is affirmative and responsive in outlook and interactions with library users and staff; works and communicates effectively with subordinates, peers, supervisors and library patrons; understands and represents the needs of others to higher authority; seeks to improve others’ perceptions of the library. She always is generous with her time and expertise with our patrons, who literally beat a path to her desk. The same goes for her librarian colleagues. When she received the MCMLA Outstanding Achievement Award, one of them described her this way: “Her enthusiasm and sense of humor are attributes that few can miss. I can generally locate Rebecca in a crowded room by her easy laugh. You can tell she enjoys what she does… She’s ‘been there and done that’ and is ALWAYS willing to share her experiences with others.”
–Diane Johnson

25 Years
GWEN GRAY:
Gwen’s commitment to service, both to our libraries’ users and her fellow staff members, is the hallmark of her 25 years with the MU Libraries. Students, faculty and community members needing assistance are met with friendliness, support and exceptional reference skills.  Gwen is the first person to help others—covering when someone is unable to work at the Reference Desk, assisting with MULSA activities, etc. Her willingness to take on new responsibilities and her abilities to assess situations and come up with solutions has supported many initiatives. Gwen’s efforts to expand the libraries’ services to support entrepreneurship have resulted in new relationships with other campus and community entities and are helping to showcase the libraries’ services and resources in a new and vital area. It is wonderful working with Gwen!
–Rhonda Whithaus

MIKE MUCHOW:
Mike Muchow is a “big picture” person who can be counted on to ask probing questions in almost any group discussion. His ability to view situations from unconventional perspectives landed him the appointments of “convener” to several task forces a decade apart that reviewed the physical and organizational structure of the Libraries, (Organization Review TF ,2005-06, and Long Range Planning Committee, 2015-16). Mike’s passion for “library as place” is evident by his persistent sleuthing through old manuscripts, architectural drawings and photographs to produce information about the historic Ellis Library during its Centennial. The large photographs that line the north hallway of Ellis Library reflect Mike’s efforts. I have seen Mike get excited staring at a solid wall and figuring out the location of a long forgotten window. Mike’s concern about library as place extended to the semester just past when he came during the weekend of finals to help empty trash cans. Mike’s love of the library is a strength which benefits us all! Thank you, Mike!
–Cindy Cotner

30 Years
PAULA ROPER:
For 30 years Paula Roper has been an energetic and engaging presence in the MU Libraries. She is the ultimate collaborator, recruiting and coordinating a wide range of people to create resources and events that benefit both the University and the wider community. Embracing new technologies, especially in developing online guides and interactive tutorials to meet the needs of the many online students in her subject areas, she also makes deft use of the old—such as the telephone. She is always encouraging to others, responding quickly to any request for help. The combination of her breadth and depth of knowledge, personal touch, and infectious laughter is unbeatable.
–Anne Barker

JOHN MEYER:
John could always be depended upon to cover for anyone who could not come to work, even on the shortest of notice. I remember how hard he worked the day that the arsonist did so much damage in the Circulation/Reserve/ILL workspaces and Desk area. He was there within 30 minutes of when I called him and he worked tirelessly not only that day but in the days that followed. His work with the financial aspects of MERLIN and MOBIUS was exemplary. I can add my own two cents. John has brought stability and peace to the Math Library for which I am very grateful. And I do enjoy his kindness, warmth and sense of humor.   
–June DeWeese

DUANE BITTLE:
Duane is a valuable library employee and makes being his supervisor an easy job. He is committed to doing an excellent job in a timely manner and still providing friendly customer service. Duane is always looking for ways of improving the receiving area and follows through to make sure it happens. He has an excellent working relationship with library staff, other university employees, outside vendors and the public. You can always depend on Duane to help out with special projects and the majority of the time it is on short notice. I have enjoyed working with him during his time at the MU Libraries.   
–Ellen Blair

35 Years
JANICE DYSART:
Janice Dysart has been an integral team member at the MU Libraries for 35 years. Through many changes in organization and technology, Janice has maintained excellence and extended her expertise. In addition to diligently supporting her own subject areas, Janice’s work on the web advisory group and in developing workshops and webpages that support researchers has augmented the work of other librarians. She provides expert leadership in consideration of developments in scholarly communication and the promotion of open access. Always organized, prepared, diligent in following through, and judicious in her input, Janice is a highly valued colleague.
–Anne Barker

TERRI HALL:
Terri has worked for 35 years at MU Libraries and the Law Library. She is extremely capable in her job and keeps up to date with changes that affect the circulation department of the health sciences library. She is very good at dealing with the public, both orally and in writing.  She is respected by her co-workers, by those whom she supervises, and by our patrons. With little supervision, she is able to keep everything running smoothly and efficiently. Terri is always thinking of ways that will make the J. Otto Lottes Health Sciences Library a better library. As a member of the space planning committee, she has contributed vastly with the user always in mind.  
–Rich Rexroat

40 Years
CHARLOTTE MUSTAIN:
During my seven months working with Charlotte, I found her to get along well with coworkers. She rarely misses a day at work.
–Ivy Hui

DAVID TRUESDELL:
For most library employees and library users, David Truesdell is Recorded Sound. No one asks if Recorded Sound is open, they ask if David is there. He has run Recorded Sound forever and made it into the quirky and interesting place that it is. His knowledge of recorded music is vast. The music faculty often consult him about which recordings they should play for their classes. He is also a good guide to new listeners of classical music or jazz, directing them to recordings that are important, interesting, and accessible. He treats everyone the same, whether they are a faculty member, a freshman student, or a retired Provost, and can strike up a conversation with anyone. He is a marvelous storyteller and the institutional memory of the School of Music, Ellis, and Columbia.  
–Mike Muchow

CATHY RICHARDSON:
It’s hard for me to imagine Cathy has worked at the MU Libraries for 40 years. She has more energy than most of the students that work in Shelving. I have especially appreciated her initiative and motivation to get things done. I’m always surprised that when some special project pops up and has to be done at a moment’s notice, and we’ve had several this year, she is the first one to volunteer and immediately ready to help out. Her good nature and work ethic is contagious, and has inspired others in Shelving to work hard and be helpful and friendly.  
–Ryan Bish

45 Years
CAROL TURNER:
In 45 years, Carol has seen it all. Floods in the hallway, a time when we had extra book money to spend, countless supervisors and staff, automation, building expansions, fires, and much more. Her dedication to the library, kindness to her colleagues, and devotion to our patrons makes her a fun and valuable addition to the Acquisitions team. Thank you.
–Corrie Hutchinson

It’s time to update the Library Committees’ membership. An email with information on which committees need new members and nomination deadlines will be coming out to all Library employees shortly.

Kat Stone Underwood will be leaving the Libraries to start a new job at Daniel Boone Regional Library. Her last day at the Circulation/Reserve Desk will be Friday, June 3.

Kevin McFillen, new Depository Supervisor, will begin on Tuesday, 5/31.