Staff Profile - March 2016

In her 18 years with JPL, Kathy Tekin has served in several areas of management and is currently managing Webb Wesconnett Branch. Flexible, quickly responsive to change and challenge, and  ever evolving would describe Kathy's professional life. On the personal side, Kathy is married to Francis Tekin and has a grown daughter, Tara, and Tara and her hubby plan to make the Tekins grandparents soon. As a first time expectant grandparent, Kathy is excited and busy making baby clothes for baby Emma in her spare time.

  

Q: You have an extensive background with JPL. Please tell us where you have served and in what positions.

A: I started full time in July 1998 at the Highlands Branch as Children’s Librarian under Jane Harris, Branch Manager.  In December 2001, I promoted to Library Supervisor of Programming (children’s and adult), which was a new position with JPL, and transferred to the old Main Library. I worked closely with the Jaguar Foundation and the Jacksonville Zoo to create the program ZooTREK (Teaching Reading Exploring with Kids) in the urban core libraries. At the end of the fall session, the children and their chaperons could attend a Jaguar game and sit in the Honor Rows section.

In 2005, I was given the opportunity to work with just the youth portion and my title changed to Youth Services Coordinator.  I worked with two grants—one for summer reading and the second for Prime Time Family Reading Time. I was also able to hire our first Early Childhood Specialist for JPL, Susan Mankowski.

In 2013, I changed positions to become co-Library Supervisor of the Main Library with Erica Brown.  I managed Popular/Fiction, Special Needs Library/ILL, and the Center for Adult Learning.  It was the beginning of new and different responsibilities.

In July 2015, I was transferred to the West Regional Library and came full circle where Jane Harris is once again my supervisor. In November 2015, my next move was to Webb Wesconnett Regional Library.

Q: How would you define leadership versus management and how both can best be used to better JPL?

A: Leadership is working with a team of people to achieve the same goals by providing direction, guidance, and leading by example.

Management is keeping the team moving forward toward the goals through listening, acknowledgement of team progress toward the goals, recognizing the potential stumbling blocks, and following up on individual contributions to the team effort.

As the manager of a very busy branch, it takes both leadership and management for staff to achieve the goals of JPL.  It also means that you need to be visible on the floor for customers and staff. It also means communicating your expectations for BLAST (Believe, Listen, Apologize, Satisfy, and Thank) customer service and reinforcing the positive interactions with customers and co-workers.  It also means dealing quickly with the uncomfortable issues that arise.

Q: Are there any lessons in management and/or leadership that your experience has garnered that didn’t come from a textbook?

A: Good mentors from my past and learning from my own mistakes are two I can think of. My first professional position was in a small library system with one building. Sharing what was happening in the children’s department could really affect the entire building--from the number of customers to the number of items that were checked out in a given day. 

Textbooks also do not teach you how to deal with day-to-day issues with buildings and difficult/challenging customers. These items you learn from your supervisors, coworkers, and from other professionals in the field. In my first position, I learned that I had to plunge the toilet that overflowed as we did not have a custodian on site all day. The men’s room had a clogged toilet and since the public restrooms were on my floor, I was given the task to plunge the toilet.

Q: What are the differences in managing a department versus a branch?

 A: Managing a branch is smaller in size compared to Main. The branches I have managed are just as busy in regards to computer use and DVD checkouts. Webb Wesconnett Branch is busier than West Regional Branch when it comes to computer use and needing assistance. Staff is smaller and more dependent on each other, so everyone needs to know how to fill in at the various desks in a pinch.  At Main, you need to know other departments and their primary functions to fill in during a pinch and you are less likely to fill in for circulation. Having worked both, I do not see a lot of difference. You are still responsible for the building and all the services provided by staff.

Q: Who are one or two of your mentors or heroes and why?

A: Kathleen Zaenger, Director of Howell Carnegie District Library taught me a lot about working in a public library. Previously, I had worked in school media centers for two school districts. I communicated with a library board and Friends group and learned the importance of knowing members of your community and other city departments, i.e. police and fire. I was delegated with the task of meeting with a team of community volunteers to construct a float for the local Melon Fest Parade to provide the library’s request for an independent millage to support the library. The children from the summer reading program already participated in the annual parade each August. The millage rate was passed by the voters for the library to become a District Library with the necessary funds to expand the Howell Carnegie Library. Ms. Zaenger provided me the opportunity to use some of my knowledge from previous work experience in the construction industry when we expanded the Howell Library. I was the liaison with the architect and contractor representing the library and library board.

Carolyn Williams was another mentor. I wish I had her poker face when dealing with some situations. Those of us who have worked with Carolyn over the years know exactly what I am saying. You never knew what she was thinking while explaining some idea or situation until she was willing to share her thoughts.