Newspapers / Meredith College Student Newspaper / April 12, 1995, edition 1 / Page 8
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April 12,1995 8 Student Life Students should look beyond books to library staff John Kincheloe that he is much by Shannon Peterson photos by Jetson How many of you still apply to every librarian you see the stereotyped image of a gray-haired woman with a finger to her lips telling you to be quiet? Well, you will never do it again because the staff of Meredith’s Carlyle Campbell Library is any thing but that. When 1 walked into the library and went straight to Head Librar ian Janet Freeman for the first interview, my nervous stomach from fear of not asking the right questions was put at ease as she eagerly told me the interesting job position that she has been holding for ten years here at Meredith. She described the li brary as an “academic support unit with the primary function being to support the academics of the col lege.” Every day for Freeman is “different, and it is not as strurtured as some offices.” She is responsible for admin istrating the library as fer as coordinat ing is concerned. “My job is to help make it possible for them [the rest of staff] to do their jobs, ” Freeman stated. For every library staff member 1 spoke with, each commended the hand-in-hand relationships of the dif ferent departments. Freeman said she was thankful for “the cohesive library staff that is divided into departments, but there is no departmental rivalry like the larger universities.” The size of Meredith’s library al lows the staff to help the students one- to-one, but size doesn’t hinder the in creasing number of materials in the library. Currently there are 153,000 books, 73,000 microforms, 10,200 non print media titles, and subscriptions to 778 periodicals. She went on to say that she, along with everyone else at the campus li brary, is eager to help any student who needs it. Freeman’s hard work and charismatic personality has paid off, for she recendy won at a faculty dinner this past Friday a Laura Weatherspoon Harrill Presidential Award for her ser vices to the college. Last year she was voted by librarians across the state to be president of the National Library Organization. Freeman spoke freely of how won , media speicialist, eagerly shares his love of learning, proving more than a figure head in the library. derful the rest of the staff is: “Every department is different, and some are more visible than others. ” And one of the most visible sections is circulation; it can’t be missed when you step through the doors of Carlyle Campbell Library and notice Circulation Supervi sor Diana McClung and her student workers ready to check your books in and out. 1 somehow managed to tear away McQung from her busy job, and she breathlessly replied that in her job she is “always doing three things at once. ” 1 had no trouble believing that when she surted telling me just exactly what she does: “1 circulate books—check them in and out, reshelve them, re serve them—and am in charge of hir ing and training the largest number of student workers in the library'. There is a lot of learning to do. Everything here is done by processing, such as re-syn thesizing books for security.” She praised her student workers because they are always “ready to go to work. They must be flexible to work during Stunt, Cornhuskin’, and dinner hours. ” Her ever-present smile is a dead give away that she enjoys her job. “1 enjoy working with people and the student workers. It is always very satis fying to help a desperate person in need of finding something,” Mcaung stated. Circulation and reference work together to help students find what they are looking for. Susan Squires, reference librarian for the library, says, “We all share a lot of duties. 1 sometimes will check out books in circulation. We re not isolated from each other; we un derstand the needs of each department because of this nice size of our library.” Her main job is to help Meredith stu dents and faculty lo cate exactly what in formation they may need. If the desired material cannot be found at Meredith or NCSU, Christy Lee in circulation will do the request for inter-loan li brary. This sys tem allows Meredith stu dents to receive anything they need. Squires is also is in charge of se lecting the refer ence material that Meredith buys for assign ments, maintain ing periodical binding, finding books for stu dents, and plac ing books back where they be long. Since she has been here. Squires has “physically moved three times the reference material.” She chose to work at Meredith seven years ago after her graduation from Etadford College because “Meredith was a lot like coming home.” Along with the hectic job of refer ence librarian, Squires also team- teaches a course in Native American History and Cultures with John Kincheloe, media specialist for the college. They both will guest lecture across campus about Native Ameri cans. Squires said of her love of teach ing, “It’sfun. Somethingl’mreally grate ful for is that the history department let us offer this course. ” Squires’ assistant, Jean Rick, is in charge of the record keeping of peri odicals. 1 was unable to interview Rick, along with Ted Waller, who is charge of the archives of the library. 1 made my way down to the lower level of the library to the cramped “closet” of MCTV headquarters that used to be the location for archives. Cable Administrator Cindy Bowling and five student cable workers program the three filtered out channels of cam pus cable television. Bowling said of the work, “We are swamped. There are so many things to edit. 1 have two to three appointments a day. ” There are limited sources for MCTV and the video produc tion classes that Bowling teaches, but space is finally growing. There will be a new editing room that is quiet com pared to the current editing room on the main floor near curriculum. Come April 25, Media Services and MC'TV will better provide information to Meredith stu dents through a newly-placed satellite on top of the library. “Chan- see LIBRARY page eleven No matter how much paper work piles up on Susan Squire's desk, this reference librarian is aiways willing to help a student with her broad smiles and good answers.
Meredith College Student Newspaper
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April 12, 1995, edition 1
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