Kleiner Award Winners
Pat Gray
The Kleiner award recognizes staff members who advance the work of the library, which is to open doors and to open minds. Recipients of the Kleiner award are leaders, expanders of the library in ways that, over the course of time, make a significant and lasting difference in the way the library system works, and the way that it is part of and responds to the community. There is a staff member among us who has made such efforts, has literally opened doors and expanded the space of the library to invite in teens, larger collections, computer users and many more patrons. Now we have even more space in other areas for young families with children, students and readers. More people in the library are more minds opened. To those who would have remained outside the library, she has opened doors and invited them in, teachers of alternative healing and spiritual exploration, community hiking and gardening groups, and groups she has encouraged to become regular meeting room users, who have all in turn brought in more minds. And what is the result of all these minds opening all over the library? Chaos? Far from it. With a thoughtful, sensitive and sensible approach, our honoree has led her staff in defining behavior and noise levels to a steadily increasing peaceful coexistence. And even beyond the doors of the library itself, minds are open to what the library has to offer when we participate in Coventry street fairs. Pat Gray has, over time, sustained active participation in the Coventry community, built new spaces and programs for patrons and nutured the growing population of library users. Thank you, Pat Gray.
Laurie Marotta
For someone who is only one person but does the job of three, this administrative multi-tasker is constantly utilizing her human resource skills to provide us with help when we get ready to hire someone from start to finish, works tirelessly to make sure that all staffing issues related to her department are met & taken care of and provides a gentle understanding when it comes to disseminating the dreaded health insurance premium information. Laurie Marotta is a gem that constantly shines.
Fabian Award Winners (posted later today)
December’s Employee of the Month….Alice Iden
Brings a cool levelheadedness to each new problem or task, and she has met each challenge with unflinching good cheer. She stepped into TWO huge pairs of shoes and responded with grace. She has kept the ship oncourse, made lemande out of lemons, saved our bacon, learned laughter is the best medicine, that times flies when you are having fun and multiple other clichés. Although she was still relatively new to her job she stepped up to in as Interim Coorindator for ASD and is doing a fantastic job.
The Rewards and Recognition Committee is proud to announce our new ASD Coordinator as December’s Employee of the Month!
Gold Stars:
Jenny Greene
Whether she’s getting staff involved with 23 things, working tirelessly on the Staff Day Committee, ordering music for the entire library system, or doing one mean karaoke impersonation of Diana Ross – Jenny Greene has an inspiring nature, great leadership ability and unbelievable organizational skills.
Sam Lapides
Whether it’s putting together an awesome crossword puzzle tournament, coordinating both a digital photography contest as well as our first annual technology expo or working with teens to improve their chances to succeed in life – Sam Lapides is passionate, trustworthy, dedicated and has the ability to inspire those around him to be the best they can be.
Aurora Martinez
Whether it’s her great reference skills, awesome customer service skills, keen listening abilities, energetic nature, flexible attitude, or her constant advocacy for children’s rights in the library – Her induction into Library Leadership and as the new Branch Manager of our University Heights branch Aurora continues to show that Aurora Martinez is a true leader in every sense of the word.
Shelley Morris
Whether it’s planning, preparing and delivering a great early bird training session for staff, continuing her excellent beyond the book discussions with our customers, assisting in all departments wherever she is needed or helping out staff with the importance of when to use culture grams – Shelley Morris is a tranquil force and a pleasure to have on staff.
John Piche
Whether it’s co-hosting Great Decisions, always stepping up and helping out when we’re short staffed, tracking down elusive information for some of our most demanding customers, or his excellent customer service skills – John Piche has been a constant force in QIS and delivering quality service across the board.
Teresa Ciz-Madia
If there is a party to be planned, look for this gold star recipient. She works hard and tends to details like Mary Mary saw to her silver bells and cockle shells. Is the party for kids or adults? No problem, she’s got decorations, flyers, food to suit, and a smile with zest that leaves the soap aisle jealous. Her party bone is connected to her work bone, though, and she proves with creative displays of books for children, sharing captivating craft programs with kids after school and being available whenever, whereever. Gold star couldn’t be worn more rightly than on Teresa Ciz-Madia
Colin Tomele
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Gold Star Recipient
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What if you needed to show yourself to the world? How would you do it? How would you arrange, organize, accessorize, bold, italic, graphics, headers, banners, how could you keep it all straight? And then what if you did all that, made an amazing website? What would people say? Would they even like the colors? Who knows. What I do know is that there’s a gold star staff member who shows the face of the library to the world, and we think the world of him. Funny man, magician and cave dweller, there is an extraordinary flow of jokes, tricks, media, toys, gags, blood (at Halloween), and hard work from this man our web maestro, Colin Tomele
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Kamaria Kabir
Hard work and a job well done are attached to this staff member like her right and left arms, which she uses to find books, gather books, point out books, shelve books, and wave. Waving is something else attached to this person, because waving is attached to her smile. And her smile is attached to her when she sees you. Not only does this person consistently lead those in her department at working hard to finish carts, she helps lost customers with friendly assistance. She also has become a stalwart accomplice in some of the parties in the Children’s department, like the End of Summer Reading and Fractured Fairy Tale parties. A gold star for all you do, Kamaria
Bill Arbutina
There is a gold star recipient who is a welcomer. “Welcome in!,” he says, “how are you?. What can I do?” He welcomes you with these words, asks you questions about your life and tells you stories about his. He welcomes you by cleaning, by moving boxes, books, and bags, hanging signs, pictures and lights, solving problems and fixing what needs to be fixed sometimes before we even know it’s broken. This staff member helps keep this library in tip top shape, both the building and the staff. The alarm we know he can fix, and perhaps it’s more of a surprise, though maybe it shouldn’t be, that he fixes us up too, with his gentle and caring way of talking with us. Bill, you are a great great new staff member, and here is a gold star for you.
Cara Kless
Who is the staff member who teaches you how to do the thing you thought you’d never do? Like no way, no how, nuh-uh not me kind of never do. This person sets people at ease, allows them to relax and think that the strange is much closer and attainable than you might have thought. The skills of this teacher are not isolated to what she may do to the beat of drums and cling of cymbals, most of her teaching is to the click of a mouse and a clack of the keyboard. This teacher gold star recipient even teaches those who teach others. She prepares and organizes documents for all those who teach computer classes, handles customer questions and complaints alike with a gracefull effort. And she taught you how to move your hips in ways you probably had not thought of before. Cara, a gold star is awarded for your performance!
Longevity Pin Winners
“RED BADGE OF COURAGE” THE GARNET (5 years) LONGEVITY PIN.
Cathy Hakala-Ausperk
Tarpa Goggins-Smith
Cheryl Taylor
Laurie Marotta
Turning those folks “GREEN WITH ENVY” (EMERALD longevity pin) are the following people who have crossed the 10 year line.
Michele Hirschfeld
Anne Butera
Leroy Hamby
After 15 years, it is truly “BLUE BY YOU” with a SAPPHIRE pin to the following:
Monica Alexander
Teresa Ciz-Madia
Nancy Zelman
And finally, the “CRE`ME de LA CRE`ME” of our staff that has been here for 30 years————the “GOLD” pins go to the following:
Susan Black
Mary Beth Musk
