Meet MLC Monday: Robin Hedrick

Meet Robin Hedrick, Human Resources and Payroll Director at the Mississippi Library Commission. Robin not only coordinates personnel matters and payroll for the entire agency, but also takes care of travel and training for MLC staff, fields personnel issues for MLC and Mississippi public libraries, and deals with workers' compensation and tort claims. She has also coordinates state employee health fairs and wellness events for the Education Research Center with six other agencies. (If you missed the last one, you can check out the fun here.) Robin has worked at the Mississippi Library Commission since February of 1998, when she started shelving books at the main agency and working at Talking Book Services (known at that time as Blind and Physically Handicapped Library Services.) She moved into Human Resources in 2000 and now has the national SHRM-CP certification and the national PHR certification. She also participated in the State Executive Development Institute.in 2009 and completed several trainings and programs through the Mississippi State Personnel Board.

"I love helping people with the problems they're having," says Robin. "Being able to talk them through whatever situation they have is very rewarding for me." When the subject turns to the benefits of libraries, Robin has this to say, "I love libraries because they give anyone an opportunity to further their knowledge." She loves to read and has a wide range of tastes. With three kids at home, she says that a lot of her reading right now ends up being juvenile fiction. One will recommend a book and, as a mom, she reads it so that she can keep up with what they're reading. Robin says an added bonus is that they often discuss the books. She says series are her downfall; one child will start a series, but she'll have to finish it too, just to find out how everything ends. (We understand, Robin!) When she's not keeping us in line at MLC or reading, Robin stays busy with her children's extracurricular activities, like band and Boy Scouts. One of her boys just held his ceremony to receive the Eagle Scout Award, the highest recognition in Boy Scouts, and she couldn't be prouder. Thanks for all you do at the Mississippi Library Commission!