Linn named November’s Civil Service Employee of the Month

Sandra Linn, a library technician at Hilton M. Briggs Library, has been named South Dakota State University’s Civil Service Employee of the Month for November. 

She will be honored at a reception held from 2-3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15, in Briggs Library 130. 

Linn started working at Briggs Library as a bindery technician in the Bindery Department in August 2000. 

Enerel Dambiinyam, head of technical services at the library, praised Linn for her dedication, diligence and work ethic, calling her approachable and highly respected by her colleagues. 

“Sandy plays an important role in overseeing the physical removal of materials approved for weeding, showcasing exceptional planning and organizational skills that significantly contribute to the ongoing weeding project,” Dambiinyam said. “As the primary contact for delivering outstanding customer service, Sandy ensures a seamless experience for graduate students receiving bound copies of their theses and dissertations.” 

Linn serves as the point of contact between Briggs Library and the Graduate School for the approximately 150 students who finish their theses and dissertations per year, according to Michael Biondo, electronic resources and scholarly communications librarian. Last year she printed and sent over 300 copies to the commercial bindery for the SDSU Archives and graduate copies.  

“As the library’s bindery technician, Sandy works on multiple repair and material processing projects during the year. In 2023, Sandy repaired over 400 damaged library materials, saving the library replacement cost or collection loss for those materials that could not be replaced. She also served as the point person for processing, binding and cataloging a large donation — 17 boxes — of magazines and journals to be added to the Prairie Striders Running Club Library,” Biondo said. 

Shari Theroux, systems and discovery librarian, said Linn knows her job well and does what needs to be done without having to be told. 

“She has a variety of duties: she prepares the print serials for the bindery, she binds the theses for graduate students, removes serial collections from the system when they have been deselected, repairs books and works with the archives on display.  She is essential to the function of the library,” Theroux said. 

Dean of the Library Kristi Tornquist called Linn a dedicated, positive person who is always willing to lend a hand and fill in when needed and has outstanding skills and knowledge. 

“Sandy has knowledge of book repair and restoration that is exceptional within the Regental system. She is fastidious in this work and is a dedicated steward of university resources,” Tornquist said. “She is wise about identifying problems and points out concerns in advance so solutions can be found. She willingly fills in when her colleagues are on leave so that library operations continue smoothly. She is observant and always looking for improvements.” 

Linn, an SDSU graduate, enjoys quilting, gardening and reading. She’s a member of the Brookings Area Quilters Guild and Friends of the Brookings Public Library. 

She said she’s appreciative of the Employee of the Month honor. “I am lucky to work at the library surrounded by books and great people,” Linn said. 

All SDSU Employee of the Month selections are determined through a nomination process by the Civil Service Advisory Council. Each civil service employee of the month receives an appreciation monetary gift from the F.O. Butler Foundation. The trustees of the foundation recognize the importance of civil service employees and take this opportunity to thank them for their exemplary service.