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I Spy: Jessica Martin is Kimbel Library’s super hero

by Foster

Kimbel Library and Bryan Information Commons, Coastal Carolina University’s hub for late night study sessions and last minute group projects, is home to some of the most helpful staff members on campus. No matter what time of day (or night), students can get what they are looking for from friendly and knowledgeable librarians. Jessica Martin, the library’s administrative coordinator, is known for her huge smile, busy schedule and passion for helping students. Even though she has a lot to balance, she always makes time for others. When she’s not working on library finances and travel budgets, she can be found lending a hand to her coworkers.

Originally from Gainesville, Ga., she attended Emmanuel College and obtained her bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2008. Her husband, Chesley, got a job in South Carolina and the couple moved to Georgetown. Martin worked as an assistant in a surgeon’s office, then as a legal assistant in an attorney’s office before finding her way to CCU’s Kimbel Library. She worked as the acquisition specialist for six months before pursuing her MBA in 2013.

“Typically, no one really knows what an acquisition specialist is, but basically, I did a lot of purchasing materials and dealing with vendors” said Martin. She also assisted with electronic resources such as databases and online journals and helped to expand CCU's catalogue of periodicals for student use. During her time as the acquisition specialist, her team of student assistants were “the best” and helped her quite a lot.

Martin was recently promoted to the position of administrative coordinator, and is now responsible for assisting the interim director who ensures the budget is being met. She has a soft spot for acquisitions and works closely with Lynn Loughran who was hired for the position Martin vacated.

“I know how stressful the job can be and try my best to be a resource for her,” said Martin, whose main goal is to improve new employee transitions overall.

Hundreds of students pass in and out of the library each day seeing smiling faces like Martin’s, and never realize the hard work that goes on behind the scenes.

Bill Carter, access services supervisor, nominated Martin for “I Spy” recognition because he felt she exemplifies what it means to “feel the teal.”

“If she has a bad day, you don’t know it when she walks in,” he said. Carter admires Martin’s ability to multitask and stay organized under extreme pressure.

Martin said her favorite aspect of working at Kimbel library is her coworkers. “Working with people you enjoy seeing every day makes coming to work so much easier,” she said. Martin hopes the library can continue to be a place where students can obtain the help they need to become more successful.

When she’s not at work, Martin loves to travel. Most recently, she made a trip to Paris, France, with her husband and left with a very special souvenir. Martin confesses to “a serious shoe addiction” and could not pass up the opportunity to buy a pair of Christian Louboutin heels. She is eagerly waiting for her next trip to Paris to give another pair of heels a home.

Besides loving shoes, Martin has a huge soft spot for her two “fur babies,” Gus and Mellie. The two Chihuahuas love cuddling up with Martin and her husband and watching “Once Upon a Time” on Netflix or running around the kitchen while Martin makes cheesecake.

One of Martin’s favorite pastimes is leading praise and worship at her church, The Refuge. She loves singing and spending time with her worship team. Her husband is a minister, and the couple spends a lot of time doing volunteer work through their church.

Martin is one of the busiest people on CCU’s campus but she manages to keep everything in order while smiling. “If you’re feeling overwhelmed or need to vent, Jessica is always willing to listen no matter how much she has on her own plate,” Carter said. He admires her ambition for learning tasks in other library departments outside her own. She was once spotted learning how to check out books and equipment for students just in case the circulation desk needed help.

“I love what I do,” Martin said.” All the hard work we do is to ensure students can be successful. I come to work every day with something new to accomplish.”

“I Spy” is an employee recognition tool for CCU faculty and staff to recognize outstanding actions and behaviors of their co-workers. The Department of Training and Development administers the program.

To nominate someone for I Spy, go to https://www.coastal.edu/traininganddevelopment/employeerecognition/ispy
 

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