Two Colleagues, Two Stars: Melissa and Michael

As our regional librarian, Melissa Reynolds accomplished a tricky balancing act: she raised the baron public service while simultaneously raising staff morale. She completed every project she started,fixed every problem that could humanly be fixed, and groomed our staff, a group of talented and quirky individuals, into a strong team. Melissa walked the walk. She raised our energy level with her own formidable work ethic. She arrived earlier to work than everyone, despite her commute from Deltona, and would answer emails at all hours of the day and night. We were never sure when * or if * she slept. Her sense of humor was infectious, and her staff morale builders like the pumpkin and Easter egg decorating competitions were great hits. A quintessential team player, she led by example, taking extra desk shifts, moving furniture, doing children’s story times in a pinch, and running to the store when coffee supplies ran low.

She relentlessly championed her staff, and never missed an opportunity to acknowledge our accomplishments and communicate with us. We affectionately joked about the sheer quantity of her emails, but we were never left in the dark. She explained and illuminated every ripple of change in library policy, Volusia County, and library services as a whole. At a time of budget cuts and massive uncertainty about the future of libraries, we felt lucky to have a leader who validated our jobs, our abilities, and our all-too-human need to feel appreciated. We will miss our superwoman.

Michael Nelson brought a sense of place to our library and added value to its relevance in the community. He demonstrated beautifully how a library becomes a cultural asset. Through the introduction of artful and thoughtful programs, he transformed the library into a cultural venue and set the stage for film series, art exhibits, jazz trios,singers, poets, and celebrated writers. Always a perfectionist, he logged countless extra hours making sure that the details were just right * whether it was holiday lights, improving our sound system, placing the podium for a celebrated poet, or creating a promotional slide presentation for our website. We will miss his artistic savvy, his sense of humor, his love of desserts, his deft hand with technology, his grace under pressure, his generosity with his time and talent, and the extravagant bling of his holiday decorations. When Christmas rolls around this year, we’ll be missing a few hundred bulbs. The sad truth is that, in losing Michael Nelson, the light has already left the building.

Mimi Hall | October 1, 2012