Havre-Hill County Library wins Outstanding Support Staff of the Year award

Havre-Hill County Library will be closed Friday and Saturday, as the library's staff will be in Butte receiving the Montana Library Association's Outstanding Support Staff of the Year award, an honor that typically goes to one person, but this year will be presented to the library's entire team.

Library Director Rachel Rawn said she will have the honor of presenting the award at the Montana Library Association Awards Banquet, Saturday, which they are excited for.

Staff members Ashley Verity, Megan Cartwright, Shelma Seidel, Betsy Lee and Kerrie Melle will be honored with the award.

"I'm really proud of the staff," Rawn said. "I appreciate them and I wanted them to know that, and I wanted the whole state to know that."

She said she nominated the library's whole staff because they are a team that all help each other be the best that they can be as individuals, a case she made in her nomination to the association this year, and one she suspects was compelling.

Rawn said members of the board also wrote letters of support that obviously made a difference, as well, netting the Havre-Hill County staff a much-deserved award.

Children's Librarian Ashley Verity said it's hard to put her feelings about winning this award into words, but she's certainly happy to have been recognized for her work.

"It's nice to be noticed," Verity said.

Collections Librarian Megan Cartwright said she was surprised to hear that they had won the award, but the quality of her colleagues' work makes it an honor well earned.

Cartwright said Rawn's leadership allows her and her colleagues to thrive in what they do and she should be recognized as part of the team that made getting this award possible, as well.