Elva Mante (pictured left), an information services assistant in the Paul and Harriett Mack Library, is the newest recipient of the Spartan Tradition of Excellence Award. The announcement took her by surprise at a meeting of the office and clerical staff on February 27. When President Scott called her to come forward to receive the acrylic star, her “heart was pounding,” she says. Olga Conneen, director of the library, nominated Elva for the award because when an additional nine cartons of children's books arrived to be included in the new Dornish Children’s Literature Collection only a short time before the scheduled dedication on February 20, Elva took the initiative to label, barcode and shelve the contents (500+ books) in time for the ceremony, while continuing to perform her primary duties at the front desk.

Elva joined the staff at NCC five years ago. Library work is a second career for her. She worked at Durkee for sixteen years. When the spice plant closed, she enrolled in NCC’s library assistant technician program. Her first job was in a public library, but she was delighted to return to NCC. “My job is a joy,” she says. Elva earned her undergraduate degree in English from Mansfield University.

She enjoys reading, especially non-fiction. “I love to learn new things,” she says. One of her favorite recent reads was One Man’s Wilderness, An Alaskan Odyssey, the tale of Dick Proenneke’s adventures in the thirty years he spent living alone in a remote area of the state known as “the last frontier.” Elva also appreciates children’s literature. She’s shown here with one of her favorite books from the Dornish collection, Dream Snow by Eric Carle. She can help you find it - and hundreds of other books in the collection. She put them there herself.