Styberg Library Staff Recognized for Exemplary Performance During the Pandemic
May 6, 2022
The last few years have been a time like no other for the world and certainly for the Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary staff. So, it makes sense that the 2021-2022 Staff Recognition Award, normally given to one staff member who demonstrated exemplary performance during the prior academic year, was awarded to not just one staff member, but to every staff member of the Styberg Library.
The Staff Recognition Award is given annually to those who have provided exemplary service and/or achievements that model the seminary’s values and mission. This academic year’s awards were presented at an all-employee meeting held on Wednesday, May 4th. The recipients of the 2021-2022 Staff Recognition Award are:
- Lynn Berg, Assistant Director of Technical Services
- Edzen Lebita, Circulation and Access Manager
- Daniel Smith, Research, Instruction, and Digital Services Librarian
They have demonstrated exemplary performance above and beyond the call of duty and are often overlooked because they tend to focus exclusively on serving the needs of others rather than on promoting and advocating for their own work and place.
– Dr. Jaeyeon Lucy Chung
After receiving the award, Smith expressed his gratitude for the award and noted that during the pandemic when many school libraries shut down when their campuses switched to remote working and learning, the Styberg Library was able to stay open and continue to safely provide vital services to students and faculty. When the Garrett-Evangelical campus re-opened this fall and in-person classes resumed, the library continued providing a curbside pickup option for patrons, as well as scanning options for patrons uncomfortable entering the library or who are studying online or at a distance.
In her nomination recommendation, Dr. Jaeyeon Lucy Chung, director of the Styberg Library and assistant professor of pastoral theology, said, “I nominate the Library Staff because they have consistently demonstrated a strong work ethic and commitment to our team in advancing the educational mission of the seminary. They contributed significantly to superbly choreographed teamwork and a consistent ongoing commitment to service and professionalism that goes beyond the ordinary. They have demonstrated exemplary performance above and beyond the call of duty and are often overlooked because they tend to focus exclusively on serving the needs of others rather than on promoting and advocating for their own work and place.”
In addition to their certificates of recognition, Berg, Lebita, and Smith received a monetary prize and will have their names engraved on a plaque located outside the President’s Office.
During the award presentation, President Javier A. Viera surprised Chung with a staff award as well for her leadership of the library not just in the past year but throughout the entire pandemic.
The Styberg Library advances the educational mission of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary by expanding access, enhancing the teaching and learning process, empowering research, and facilitating collaboration. The Library serves Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Bexley Seabury Seminary, Northwestern University, and the wider communities of students, pastors, and scholars.