Ever wondered how your books get from a request to the shelves? Well, people like Andrea work to process and catalog our print materials so they are searchable and ready when you need them. For two decades, Andrea has worked with McFarlin's collection. Read below to learn about her experience with our collection and spaces, as well as her care for patron access.
How long have you been at McFarlin and what roles have you had during your tenure?
I have worked in a cataloging position in the Bibliographic/Technical Services department for over twenty years.
Why librarianship? What made this career appealing to you?
Books, knowledge, and information have always been essential in my life. Libraries and bookstores were comforting second homes when I was a child. My mom was a non-traditional student and attended college full-time while raising me, and I recognized early on how life-changing and transformative access to information is. Being partly responsible for providing that access for others is important to me.
What is your non-library training and/or degree, and how does it help you as a librarian?
My B.A. in History provides a solid foundation in critical thinking/research and a user-centric perspective when creating bibliographic records and organizing/describing materials.
What’s your favorite spot in McFarlin Library and why is it your favorite?
Well, my office. But also, the Browsing Section. I remember that burned out feeling during a semester. Sometimes curling up with a book completely unrelated to what I was studying provided the perfect reprieve. Occasionally, a break is still needed now.
Can you tell me about a memorable interaction you have had with a patron?
Not necessarily a patron, because my job is back-of-house, but I stumbled across a love letter tucked away in book. It detailed a date the couple had the night before, very effusively. After some research, I discovered that the couple ultimately got married.
What is your favorite media to consume and what makes it your favorite?
Currently, books. I used to read almost exclusively nonfiction, irreverent books about history, but lately I’m delving back into fiction. Always physical (not electronic) books. And weekends are often about PBS Passport.
What’s the best (non-human) resource at McFarlin?
Wandering the stacks is a great resource in a broad sense. The databases for more specific searches.
Tell me the most bizarre thing you have seen while walking through the book stacks.
Since most of my time isn’t in the stacks, I’ll mention another book I encountered. This one was from the early 1800s and was a book of poetry. It was inscribed by the original owner with his signature in what appeared to be faded brown ink and the words “written in my own blood.” After researching, it was determined to be an illegitimate teenaged grandson of George III.
If you could go back in time and talk to one of the designers who modified the building, which phase would you jump to and what would you tell them?
I’d like to have several words with people responsible for the elevators. Additionally, next time a ‘grand staircase’ is constructed, might I suggest evacuating the staff on the other side of the wall to a quieter location, minus the jackhammering, etc.?
You’re trapped in McFarlin for the night: what do you do when no one else is around?
Counter query: will my dog be trapped with me as well? If so, our version of fetch just got an expansive playing field. If it has to be just me, I would write because I imagine the atmosphere of an empty library might be inspiring.
If a book is not findable in our system, then it really cannot help any patron. This is the sentiment that is often held by our cataloging and metadata staff members. And without the tedious work and troubleshooting that people such as Stephen complete, you - our lovely patrons - would be unable to search for and evaluate the materials we have for research and personal reading. For those not in the library world, metadata might seem trivial, but those in the know understand the value and benefit of having staff members as skilled as Stephen.
How long have you been at McFarlin and what roles have you had during your tenure?
I was hired one year ago as McFarlin's Library Systems and Metadata Specialist.
Why librarianship? What made this career appealing to you?
I was a bookish kid who enjoyed hanging out in the library. I’ve become a bookish adult who enjoys hanging out in the library. As an undergraduate I worked in the campus library’s technical processing department and loved the behind-the-scenes work. After graduation I took a part-time job at the local public library, also in Technical Services. My supervisor encouraged me to pursue an MLIS but really it didn’t take much convincing.
What is your non-library training and/or degree, and how does it help you as a librarian?
I have a bachelor's in English, and later picked up some coursework in computer science and math. That combination has helped me develop a mix of communication and technical skills for understanding library systems and how to leverage them.
What’s your favorite spot in McFarlin Library and why is it your favorite?
I love the view from the plaza.
Can you tell me about a memorable interaction you have had with a patron?
My position is not very public-facing, but I’ve enjoyed working with campus IT to launch a couple of web applications.
What is your favorite media to consume and what makes it your favorite?
Text. Print books are still my favorite, but I also read a lot of eBooks too. As a Gen-Xer, I remember life before eBooks, and I’m grateful for the way eBooks have made obscure, non-English, and niche titles so much more easily available.
What’s the best (non-human) resource at McFarlin?
McFarlin's collection of databases is fantastic. Whatever you’re researching, you can probably find a database for it. My current favorite is Gale's “Eighteenth Century Collections Online.”
Tell me the most bizarre thing you have seen while walking through the book stacks.
Nothing yet that I’d call bizarre, which probably means I need to spend more time in the stacks. The closest would be handwritten notes like “You are enough” and “You’ve got this!” lying on random shelves. I assume some kind person left them for whoever might need a little encouragement.
If you could go back in time and talk to one of the designers who modified the building, which phase would you jump to and what would you tell them?
At any phase I’d just say, “You won’t believe this but someday accessibility is going to be a big deal.”
You’re trapped in McFarlin for the night: what do you do when no one else is around?
Hang in the stacks and read. Honest, officer, that’s all I was doing. I have no idea who lined up the DVDs like dominoes. Stacked the Oklahoma Geological Survey like a Jenga tower? Who in the world would do such a thing?
What is an exciting project you are currently working on, or a future endeavor you are anticipating?
I’m excited about our Digital Archive project. We have plans for multiple collections on this platform, and it’s exciting to be part of making them available.