Jackie Gadison retires

University Library Technician Jackie Gadison has retired from the Libraries after 35 years of service. 

Jackie started working at the Libraries in 1976, leaving in 1979 to work at the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library at Tulane University. She has also worked for the City of New Orleans and the Hayti Development Corporation in Durham, NC. Jackie returned to the Libraries in 1989 to work at the Veterinary Medical Library before moving to the Acquisitions and Discovery department. 

“Jackie brings a level of calm and kindness to her work. She doesn't get panicked or frustrated with a problem, she just works her way through it,” says Beth Ashmore. “We have had all kinds of weird situations with vendors all over the world, and Jackie will just talk them through the problem until we get the information or resolution we need.”

At the Libraries, Jackie has particularly enjoyed helping others. “As a member of the Acquisitions and Development Wellness Group, I have been able to contribute by coordinating recognitions for co-workers and their impact during Annual Volunteer Appreciation Week and coordinating a Wellness Expo, providing information and activities during Health Literacy Month,” she says.

“I’m going to miss Jackie's documentation,” says Beth Ashmore. “When I started at the Libraries, I had a lot to learn about operations and nuts-and-bolts stuff. Not only did Jackie walk me through a lot of processes and answer all my questions, but she would create this great supplemental documentation that addressed idiosyncrasies that I might encounter along the way.”

Jackie is most proud of always bringing a positive attitude, a willingness and desire to learn, and an ability to organize and prioritize her work at the Libraries. After leaving the Libraries, Jackie plans to work with a variety of community organizations, complete some family history projects, and volunteer to assist survivors of domestic violence. She will most miss her co-workers and the opportunities to help students. And her co-workers will very much miss her.

“I will miss how dependable and thorough Jackie is,” says Christenna Hutchins. “I can always rely on her to complete a task, solve a problem, and troubleshoot issues for staff, and to do all of these things well.”

“I will miss Jackie's willingness to work as a team to get a project done, and her willingness to share her knowledge with the rest of us,” says David Serxner.

“It's difficult to say what I will miss most about working with Jackie because she has so many wonderful qualities and is one of the most truly unique people I have ever met,” says Tessa Minchew. “Diligent, thorough, cool, calm, and collected—Jackie is a dignified and consummate professional who always gets things done with the absolute minimum of muss and fuss. At the same time, she is also kind, thoughtful, and genuinely supportive and accepting of everyone around her. Jackie knows who she is, knows what she wants to do, and leaves everything better than she found it. That kind of person is far too rare and getting to work beside them is a gift and an honor.