Doyle does it by the book at UW-Madison Law Library

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Carolyn Doyle has been an indispensable part of the University of Wisconsin Law Library for more than a decade.

Doyle, head of acquisitions and serials at the library, coordinates and directs ordering, receiving, claiming, binding and payments for all library materials. She is also an expert on the use of the library-management software and regularly assists libraries nationwide with sophisticated report writing.

“If you’ve used a database, read an article or borrowed a book from the UW Law Library in the last decade, there’s a good chance that Carrie made that access possible,” said Victoria Coulter, associate director at the library. “That’s no mean feat as UW Law Library contains the largest legal collection in the state of Wisconsin.”

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many companies struggled to maintain essential business functions, Doyle developed procedures that allowed her team to continue working from home.

“I was one of a small number of people who were able to enter the Law School building to accept deliveries and gather up invoices for payment,” Doyle said. “The library still acquires a lot of print materials and by making sure there were people in the building to accept deliveries we were able to keep the shipments.”

Doyle said she enjoys ordering and providing access to materials for students, faculty and the public, while also exploring ways to make the library more efficient.

“I like creating reports that could answer a question or provide information that could help us make better decisions,” she said. “I like troubleshooting reports that are giving unexpected results.”

Coulter said that Doyle is the embodiment of an unsung hero, one whose behind-the-scenes contributions too often go unnoticed.

“I enthusiastically nominate her for the Unsung Hero award with the hope that she may receive the recognition she so richly deserves,” she said.