Harding Librarian Receives an Award Named After Her Mentor

By Laura Miller, Student Writer

For Brenda Breezeel, receiving the 2026 Suzanne Spurrier Award from the Arkansas Library Association is more than a professional recognition. It is a reminder of the woman who encouraged her to pursue librarianship and helped shape the career she has built at Harding.

Breezeel, the University’s library systems administrator, received the award in recognition of her service to the library profession and dedication to her colleagues. The award honors academic librarians in Arkansas who exemplify the qualities of Suzanne Spurrier, who served as library director for the Brackett Library from 1990 to 1998. 

“She was a dear lady,” Breezeel said. “I think of her often throughout the year, especially because of how long I have been working here.”

Beginning her job at the library as a student worker her freshman year, Breezeel was contemplating what she wanted to pursue professionally. While working alongside Spurrier, whom colleagues affectionately called “Suz,” she considered  a new direction, encouraged to attend library school.

“When I worked in the library as a student, she kept telling me that I needed to go to library school,” Breezeel said. “Now, she is the reason why I work in the library.”

After graduation, Breezeel continued to work at the library as her husband finished his education. Then, by 1997, she had enrolled in library school, excited to tackle a new challenge. 

Breezeel later worked for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a consortium of libraries in Illinois before her return to Harding in 2001. Working as a library systems manager throughout her career, she has managed technology and processes that keep the library running smoothly. 

Now as the library systems administrator, Breezeel oversees systems that support the library’s daily operations, including book purchasing and circulation, interlibrary loans, digital archives and other online services. 

“If it touches a computer, I help manage it,” Breezeel said. 

In addition to her operations role, she also manages the library technology and helps coordinate major transitions, including the recent movement of the Rogers Theological Library from Memphis to Searcy.

Brackett Library Director Jean Waldrop said Breezeel’s contributions extend far beyond her technical responsibilities. From managing library systems to helping develop Harding’s campus recognition database, Breezeel plays a vital role in keeping the library running smoothly. 

Breezeel’s commitment to service, the library, her community and the library’s student workers are just some of the qualities that make her deserving of the award.

“She just goes above and beyond,” Waldrop said.

Waldrop said the award is especially meaningful because Breezeel worked as a student worker under Spurrier. That connection reflects the legacy of service that the award was created to honor. First presented in 2001, the Suzanne Spurrier Award recognizes academic librarians who demonstrate outstanding service and devotion to their library profession. 

Crystal Gates, the 2026 awards chair for the Arkansas Library Association, said Breezeel’s nomination stood out because of the often-unseen work she does to keep the library functioning well. 

“I appreciated that her role tends to be behind the scenes,” Gates said. 

Gates also noted the extensive work involved in major technology transitions and said Breezeel’s nomination described her as someone who has a “heart of service.” 

For Waldrop, that spirit of service is central to the award’s significance. Breezeel’s recognition highlights the importance of the work librarians do beyond their day-to-day responsibilities. 

Receiving an award named after someone who influenced her professional path was both surprising and an honor to Breezeel. As she continues at Harding, she hopes to make a difference through the relationships she builds with students and the example she sets for others. 

“I want to be a positive influence,” Breezeel said. “I want to show students that living out your faith can be a simple thing; it doesn’t have to be complex. You don’t have to change the world to do what’s right and to make a difference to the people around you.”