Ellington Resident Receives Award at University of Hartford's Annual Faculty/Staff Kickoff

Christine "Christy" Bird of Ellington, an interlibrary services coordinator at the University Libraries, was honored with an Outstanding Staff Member Award at the University of Hartford's annual Faculty/Staff Kickoff on Wednesday Aug 29.

The award recognizes individuals who are exceptionally dedicated to the University of Hartford and who play a critical role in the success of the institution and its students.

Bird manages the University Libraries Interlibrary Loan Department, where she helps faculty and students obtain research materials not owned by the University of Hartford. Always willing to go the extra mile to locate hard-to-find material or fill last-minute requests, she has won the hearts of scores of grateful faculty members and students who have filled her office bulletin board with thank-you notes, cards, and e-mails.

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The reasons for compliments like "I couldn't get my work done without her" are numerous: Instead of merely finding a copy of a requested book, she will go out of her way to find other editions and inform borrowers of their existence, in case there may be significant differences. She is able to access obscure articles in languages like German and French that have not yet been scanned into European databases. She even examines the condition of returned materials and carefully erases any pencil marks.

Bird has diligently and successfully supported the University's research mission for nearly 10 years, along the way earning a reputation as an efficient, unflappable librarian and wonderful coworker.

Chartered in 1957 with the mission to be a "private university with a public purpose," the University of Hartford offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs in the arts, humanities, business, engineering and technology, education, and the health professions. The University's student body of nearly 7,200 represents 48 states and more than 60 countries. For more information, visit www.hartford.edu.