Jackie McDonald Receives Director's Award
Jackie has been with CADL since before it was CADL, quietly doing wonderful things for the community. We are excited to recognize her for all that she does with the Director's Award!
Jackie's relationship with our community has helped the library tremendously. She does programs at the Williamston Senior Center, and because the seniors love her and the library so much, she has mobilized her posse to help with so many library programs!
Jackie is the calming, uniting force that will turn a crazy day into a manageable one the minute she arrives.
She is always encouraging us relative newbies to be creative, follow our passions, pull as a team, and try new things. She's always there to help, using her experience to give suggestions that help make our efforts a success.
I have heard the term work mom used to describe a special coworker who looks out for everyone, who takes you under their wing when you need advice and remembers everyone's birthday--the unsung hero who makes the whole place run a lot more smoothly simply by doing whatever needs doing—and that's Jackie!
It can be a fine line to know when to jump in and help and when to stand back and let people fly on their own, and Jackie walks it perfectly. Jackie is incredibly special because it's rare to have her level of experience and expertise while also being capable of fully embracing change and maintaining a go-with-the-flow attitude. She has been such a steadying presence here at Williamston as we have dealt with various challenges.
Speaking of challenges, most people are aware that book challenges are on the rise in our country and CADL has not been immune to the trend. We do our best to carry a wide range of materials to meet the interests of our diverse communities, and occasionally a community member objects to an item. Jackie's strong faith and experience carry weight in supporting the library and have helped her navigate those difficult conversations with grace and respect.
People often hear about the challenges, but I want you to know about the understandings that people reach through conversation, the hearts and minds that have grown, and the people brought together by the incredible people at libraries everywhere, people like Jackie.
Thank you, Jackie, for all that you do to support CADL's mission to help people learn, imagine and connect.
Jolee Hamlin, CADL Interim Executive Director