From the Spring 2015 Newsletter

Saundra Dancy, the Sealy Library Circulation Supervisor, celebrated her birthday on March 30 by retiring from John Jay College. She was aided and abetted in this decision by her husband, Darryl Dancy, who retired from John Jay’s Facilities Department during the previous month. While we wish them both well in their spring bower in Pennsylvania, the College will surely miss them. 

Saundra arrived at the Library nearly twenty-five years ago upon the high recommendation of Margaret Schultze, for whom she had worked in Human Resources. Saundra’s bright spirit, ready smile and quick intelligence was immediately apparent. It wasn’t long before she had mastered the arcane details of library circulation: “unlinked item records,” “pick list,” “Aleph conversions,” “library stops,” “local patron,” “global records,” and so many others. Where Saundra always shined the brightest, however, was in her management skills.

The Library has a revolving crew of fifteen college assistants and four or five work-study students who zip in to work for a few hours between classes. Our students are subject to the vagaries of student life everywhere, plus dependent families, no previous work experience, and special immigrant status. At the center of the maelstrom, Saundra dependably orchestrated crises and continuity, going well beyond work responsibilities to mentor, cajole, encourage and help our John Jay students one after another. An indication of the influence she had on so many young lives was the number who flocked lovingly to her retirement party on March 20. Their tributes to Saundra Dancy and how she changed their lives were reminiscent of the things we usually hear at faculty retirements. The role Saundra played in the College was in the best spirit of our educational enterprise. We are grateful for her presence among us.

Janice Dunham

More from the Spring 2015 Newsletter »