Success stories for Solos? Our next guest blogger, Rana Hutchinson Salzmann (Librarian and Manager of Content Strategy for the American Planning Association in Chicago), has some to share!

About APA and the Library

The American Planning Association is a nonprofit membership, publication, education, and advocacy organization serving approximately 40,000 urban, suburban, and regional planner members. Formed in 1978 by the merger of two organizations (the American Society of Planning Officials and the American Institute of Planners), APA and its predecessor organizations have maintained a library since 1932, when six organizations shared the Joint Reference Library on the University of Chicago’s Hyde Park campus.

(For more about the history of the Library, see: http://www.planning.org/library/history.htm)

Today, our primary users are research staff working on grant-funded projects and publications. We also serve the research needs of other department staff, APA members, and the general public by appointment. In the Chicago office, home to approximately 80 staff members, we maintain a collection of nearly 5,000 monographs and serials. We also provide a limited collection of key publications for the 15 staff members in our Washington, D.C., office.

Since coming to work at APA five years ago, I have faced challenges common to solo librarians in many settings, including serving patrons at a distance, developing collections on a limited budget, and ensuring adequate staffing and service levels. In this post, I’ll talk about a few strategic partnerships with universities, archives, and library schools that have allowed us to do things we otherwise could not.

University of Maryland Urban Studies and Planning Program

Since 2010, we have been fortunate to enjoy a partnership with the University of Maryland’s Urban Studies and Planning Program. According to terms spelled out in a Memorandum of Understanding, fifteen APA research, policy, and outreach staff members are permitted Research Affiliate status in the UMD library system. This means that the wealth of electronic resources accessible to students at a major research university is available to our small staff (in both office locations) at no direct cost. This has been a blessing for our collection budget. Staff members are able to access specialized research material in planning and related fields that we could not otherwise afford to purchase or store.

In return, we provide in-kind knowledge support to faculty in the University of Maryland planning program. Over three years, this support has taken different forms. One year, APA experts worked with planning studio faculty to help develop course reading lists and evaluate student projects. More recently, APA staff assisted a faculty member with a research project by compiling a literature review and advising on formulation of a survey about planning education for distribution to APA members.

Cornell Archive

We face space and staffing limitations in both the Chicago and D.C. offices. To manage these challenges, we ship historical records, business documents, and ephemera of potential research value to the architecture and planning archives at Cornell University. We rely on the pathfinders to the collection prepared by Cornell and work with archivists there to digitize items as needed. While it can be inconvenient to have back issues of newsletters, leadership documents, or other materials so far away, the Cornell staff and facility are better equipped to care for and catalog our archival material. We must account for shipping time and digitization costs when the occasional request is made and so educate staff and other users accordingly.

The pathfinders to APA’s collections are here:

• American Planning Association – http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/EAD/htmldocs/RMM04075.html
• American Society of Planning Officials – http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/ead/htmldocs/RMM03247.html
• American Institute of Planners – http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/ead/htmldocs/RMM04007.html

Internships/Practicums

Finally, I’m sure solo librarians of all kinds can relate to the manpower problem. By definition, we do it all (from acquisitions to reference, readers’ advisory, IT troubleshooting, weeding, and more). And oftentimes budgets dictate that we can’t hire additional help for extra projects. Upon my arrival at APA, the organization had been without a librarian for nearly eight months. We faced a significant backlog of cataloguing and needed to process a large donation of material. After securing the necessary funding, I reached out to a local library school and advertised for a summer temp.

Since then, I have hosted interns (both paid and unpaid, as budgets dictate, and for course credit or not) continually in the library. Interns have worked on blogging and book reviews, cataloguing, data clean- up, serials management, taxonomy tagging, and a variety of other projects. When I was in library school, I did not take advantage of a practicum and was never introduced to special librarianship. I’ve enjoyed mentoring LIS students and recent graduates and introducing them to the many responsibilities of solo librarianship in a membership organization.

Interns and temps have come from several library and information science programs:

• University of Illinois Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Urbana, IL
• Dominican University Graduate School of Library and Information Science, River Forest, IL
• University of Michigan School of Information Alternative Spring Break

For more information about the APA library, visit: http://www.planning.org/library/.

Rana Hutchinson Salzmann, M.A., M.L.S., is the librarian and Manager of Content Strategy for the American Planning Association in Chicago. During her tenure at APA, Rana’s role has evolved from solo librarian to knowledge manager to content strategist. She works in the space where IT, Research, and Publications converge, helping to create and deploy a comprehensive, authoritative, and practical taxonomy for the association’s digital and print content. She received an M.A. in English from DePaul University and an M.L.S. from the University of Illinois LEEP program. Prior to joining the staff at APA, she was the Head of Reference and Electronic Services at the Brookfield, Illinois, Public Library.

Say hello to Mary Odom, Director of Library Services for the International Association of Assessing Officers, in this latest installment of the “20 (or so) Questions” series.

1. Describe the work done by your employer and how you support the organization’s mission.

The International Association of Assessing Officers is a nonprofit education and research organization that supports property tax assessors in local government jurisdictions. We are a professional development association just like SLA, except our members are assessment professionals. We publish a peer-reviewed journal for practitioners and provide credentialing for our members. I serve the research function of IAAO by providing access to resources on property appraisal, assessment administration, and property tax policy.

2. What percentage of your collection is electronic?

20% and growing, soon to be adding e-books to our collection.

3. Describe the services that you provide to your patrons.

I answer reference questions concerning the valuation of various types of properties almost every day. I also conduct in-depth research on policies and practices that local jurisdictions need for decision-making, for defending values that are under appeal, or for situations that arise such as the property damage done in the recent tragedy in Boston. IAAO stands for fairness in property tax administration, so our members are constantly doing research to stay on top of the ever-changing real estate market.

4. How many patrons do you serve?

Approximately 7,000.

5. What’s the most used / requested /circulated item in your collection?

A publication that IAAO created and updates annually called Property Tax Policies and Administrative Practices in the United States and Canada. Because all of the states and provinces have different property tax systems, IAAO tracks what’s happening in each state and province and maintains a central repository for use by legislators, researchers, and members.

6. How long have you worked there?

5 years.

7. Do you have an MLS and if so, what school did you receive your degree from?

I graduated from the University of Missouri- Columbia with an MLS and also have a Realtor’s license which helped me initially with the learning curve of property appraisal.

8. What’s the strangest information request you’ve received?

The strangest questions are from taxpayers who confuse us with police officers because we have “officers” in the name of our organization. “Is this where I can file a complaint about my assessor?” No, we don’t have any authority over your local assessor.

9. What databases do you subscribe to?

Gale Custom Journals database allows special libraries to select 100 journals to make a custom database of full text articles. It’s one of the best deals around for small budgets. I also subscribe to IntelliConnect Tax Research Network from CCH.

10. Have you always been a “Solo”, or did you become one due to organizational change?

I’ve always been a solo, however I have recently added a professional half-time person to the staff. This has challenged me to grow in so many unexpected ways since I’m now supervising and also have the benefit of having another professional with which to collaborate.

11. Is the library an independent part of your organization, or do you report into a larger department?

The Research Department encompasses the library, however we do not currently have a Research Director. So my department has only 1 and a half employees who are both librarians.

12. What do you do to market yourself as a librarian within your organization?

I attend our annual educational conference and two other smaller seminars every year and conduct on-site research consultations with attendees. For those who are not able to attend, I promote my services through our monthly magazine Fair & Equitable, broadcast emails, web site, Facebook page, and LinkedIn group.

13. Are you involved in any “non-library” activities in your organization? If so, what are they?

I help to plan the education content for 2 seminars, obtain and track continuing legal education credits from state bar associations and supreme courts around the country, and administer a certificate program for local jurisdictions that undergo an intense evaluation process. These responsibilities allow me to engage with all departments in my organization which in turn allows me to anticipate needs that my own department can fill. In 2010, I informally surveyed solo librarians about this topic of “non-library” tasks and received 119 responses. Out of those responses, 70% indicated that they have “non-library” responsibilities. I’d love to share those findings in a future article if anyone is interested.

14. Do you currently (or plan to) have any library-themed tattoos?

I have fun with the Illustrated Librarian temporary tattoos. My favorite is “Read or Die”. I also love to wear my library-themed shirt that says “It’s All About the Library” (purchased from www.stopfalling.com). (see photo below!)

15. As solos, we don’t have the luxury of walking down the hall to talk to librarian colleagues. When you have a problem, need advice, or simply want to talk shop, where are some of your favorite places to go?

My local chapter (Kansas/Western Missouri) is a priceless asset to my job that has provided excellent local education programs and numerous networking opportunities. I also contacted my ILS vendor and asked for names of other local users and then organized a user’s group for my area. Most importantly, I have a mentor in another state who operates a library with a similar collection as mine and who is willing to spend time on the phone discussing issues and ideas. Everyone needs a mentor like him, who is farther along in his career and willing to give back to our profession.

16. Read any good books lately?

The Cybrarian’s Web by Cheryl Ann Peltier-Davis.

17. Name one of your guilty pleasures.

Hot stone and Swedish full-body massage.

18. What kind of music do you like?

I’d honestly rather listen to audiobooks on my smartphone, iPad, or in the car.

19. What are your hobbies outside of work?

Zumba (Latin-themed dance workouts), Sci-Fi movies, and most recently I discovered Pinterest. I also serve in my church library which has launched its catalog online this year, and is one of only 93 in the country to do so.

20. What would be your ideal vacation? Have you done it, yet?

I was married in Hawaii on the island of Oahu in 2001 and would love to cruise all of the Hawaiian islands on a two-week vacation. My husband has always wanted to cruise Alaska, so that’s our vacation for this year. Perhaps I will get to go back to Hawaii for our 15th anniversary.

Our next guest blogger is Elizabeth Berilla – step aboard and listen to her tale of being a solo in a very unique setting!

“A good ship’s library, arts and crafts, language lessons, games, contests, hobbies, discussions, etc. can contribute towards creating a more lively and involving climate aboard ship.” — WHO, International Medical Guide for Ships, 2nd ed., p. 301.

In 2010, I joined the Stephen B. Luce Library of SUNY Maritime College drawn by the opportunity to crew aboard the College’s Training Ship EMPIRE STATE VI during a Summer Sea Term (SST) cruise as Ship’s Librarian. In 2012, I achieved this goal.

Complete with 500 students working, learning, and operating the ship, a librarian joins the ship’s staff as an “honorary officer” to supplement academic curricula and leisure activities. Each May, an in-house collection of updated reference resources, leisure reading materials, and supplies are loaded onto the ship in preparation for 90 days at sea, totaling our Ship’s Library collection to 5,000 items.

My colleague had taken the “helm” of the library for the first 45 days and traveled from New York to the Azores, Reykjavik, and Norfolk. I joined the ship in Norfolk on June 20, relieved him from his “watch” through August 6, and visited the ports of Gibraltar and Liverpool along the way back to New York.

The hours were long and the temperatures questionably stable due to the Library’s position on one of the lowest decks. One of the more pressing concerns for a Ship’s Librarian was the rocking of the ship which could prevent carts and books from being in the same place where I’d left them the night before. Entire cases of books would often feel the effects of rough seas and topple during the night, leaving heaps of books on the deck to reshelve in the morning.

Despite all of these environmental challenges, the Ship’s Librarian soldiers on to provide up-to-date reference materials from ship and shore. Admittedly, the library lacked many modern conveniences — internet, reference databases, company of fellow librarians — but it remained the hub of communication from shore. Daily headline articles, sports scores, and entertainment news were sent via text-only email from shore, and I would print them for readers. Often, this was their only connection with the “real world” for weeks at a time.

The library became a safe haven and social center for leisure reading, game boarding, and evening movies. Engineering students formed a de facto chess league, and a daily “Jeopardy”-style trivia game brought students to my door as soon as I opened. When students were stumped with the daily question, I would help them track down the answer which could always be found in the Reference collection.

I emailed daily reports back home describing library statistics and reference queries; likewise, I collected information mostly from students and observations on life aboard the EMPIRE STATE VI. I sent these short reflections back to shore, which would then be reposted by a colleague to the Library’s Blog, promoted on the Library and College websites.

As a solo librarian at sea, the ship’s library became my home away from home, complete with personalized attention to everyone who came through its doors, regardless of whether they were Captain, crew, or cadet. I am proud to have been their shipmate.

In this installment of the “20 (or so) Questions” series, we meet Susan Morley, Manager of Information and Knowledge Management for CSA Group’s Learning Institute. Susan helps to set the standard, as it were, for being a fantastic Solo… (Hey, no one said that there wouldn’t be any bad puns on this blog.)

1. Describe the work done by your employer and how you support the organization’s mission.

CSA Group was originally established in 1919 as an independent organization called the Canadian Engineering Standards Association. We’re still an independent, not-for-profit membership association whose over 7,500 members include consumers, business and government, with the focus of safety, social good and sustainability. CSA Group’s knowledge and expertise encompasses standards development (we develop and maintain 3,000 standards); training and advisory solutions; global testing and certification services across approx 54 business areas including these key ones: hazardous location and industrial, plumbing and construction, medical, safety and technology, appliances and gas, alternative energy, lighting and sustainability; as well as consumer product evaluation services. We also operate under the traditional name of Canadian Standards Association. Our Certification & Testing division is responsible for issuing the “CSA Mark” on millions of products, in use around the world. To quote our President & CEO Ash Sahi “In terms of brand recognition, the three-letter CSA certification mark is as familiar to Canadians as Coca-Cola’s signature swirled letters or Apple’s iconic minimalist logo.”

My focus is providing Information and Knowledge Management resources to all staff. My services support decision making and enhance staff learning experiences, in keeping with CSA Group Purpose, Vision and Values.

• Purpose: Making standards work for people and business
• Vision: A better, safer, more sustainable world, where standards work for people and business

2. What percentage of your collection is electronic?

The majority of the collection (print/electronic) consists of standards. Of that approx 76% is online. There is a small magazine and shelved book collection, with plans to introduce eBooks.

3. Describe the services that you provide to your patrons.

Mostly falls within the definition of typical Library services – majority focus is on providing a collection of information resource materials, of which a large & growing percentage is in electronic. A small magazine collection, which still routes to local staff – just introduced digital/mobile/online access. I don’t do I.L.L. mainly because we don’t loan “standards” which comprise about 85% of the collection.

4. How many patrons do you serve?

About 60% of the technical staff, around 900 people, actively use the online collection. Over the past year the user base has ‘jumped’ 5%. A smaller number prefers in-person or e-mail referral. We’re still based in Canada, with roughly 1,700 employees are located in over 30 offices around the globe – from Canada to Mexico; U.K. to Switzerland; India to China – it’s a very geographically diverse bunch of people to serve.

5. What’s the most used / requested /circulated item in your collection?

Oh… pick a standard… on just about any topic. Though I’m guessing something in the electrical /electronic discipline will top the list.

6. How long have you worked there?

34 years.

7. Do you have an MLS and if so, what school did you receive your degree from?

Originally a graduate of Sheridan College Library Technicians Program, I’ve taken several additional programs. Most recently Knowledge & Records Management through Click University and University of Toronto. Overview of Archives Management / Museum Studies may be on the horizon.

8. What’s the strangest information request you’ve received?

Can’t recall a strange one… but then I’m so used to the varied topics staff request. What may seem strange to others is normal to me… in hindsight that might be a bit disturbing!?

9. What databases do you subscribe to?

We have a heavy emphasis on technical content – standards of course is the primary focus – I.H.S. Standards Expert; IEEE Xplore; SAI Global Standards i2i Solutions are 3 core resources. Others include D&B Hoovers; Knovel online Technical Resources. Some not so common database resources include ISO/IEC Graphical Symbols database; CANLii; CCOHS enviroOSH Legislation; etc.

10. Have you always been a “Solo”, or did you become one due to organizational change?

No, only 4 years. Like many organizations several years ago CSA Group right sized the Information Centre. Doing so reduced the head count from 3 to 1, and reduced the service offering. This change heralded the change of focus, and the growth of the electronic collection.

11. Is the library an independent part of your organization, or do you report into a larger department?

The Information Centre is part of CSA Group’s Learning Institute. One of CSA Group’s corporate values is Continuous Learning, and this division’s focus directly supports this mandate.

12. What do you do to market yourself as a librarian within your organization?

I am a regular presenter at staff orientation/training sessions. Certifier University is a Canadian Society for Training and Development (CSTD) award winning program, of which I am happy to report I am a regular participant. In addition to in person training sessions, I have, in collaboration with our Internal Training team, created several Computer Based Training (CBT) modules – some of which are mandatory training. I also coordinate vendor supplied training, and disseminate an irregular eNewsletter on the Information Centre’s resource offerings. I attend relevant staff presentations, and often follow up with suggestions and/or reminders about resources.

13. Are you involved in any “non-library” activities in your organization? If so, what are they?

Some years more so than others. I am a regular participant in our Long Service Award planning committee – I did mention I’ve been here 34 years didn’t I? I’m also a founding member of CSA Group’s Corporate Records Management committee, and participate on our Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act [AODA] Compliance committee.

14. Do you currently (or plan to) have any library-themed tattoos?

Not likely – though it probably wouldn’t surprise many of my work colleagues if I did.

15. As solos, we don’t have the luxury of walking down the hall to talk to librarian colleagues. When you have a problem, need advice, or simply want to talk shop, where are some of your favorite places to go?

Discussion lists are a great resource – CTOR, DSOL and DENG are my go to lists, but also will post to OLA and OALT-ABO which are more diverse. It really depends on which need I’m attempting to fill. It’s rare that I get to in person evening meetings, as CSA Group’s HQ is in the NW end of Toronto and convenient for meetings, but am hoping to get to more of SLA Toronto West meetings. The OLA 2013 Superconference (Jan 30th –Feb 2nd) was a great opportunity to meet up with many colleagues, chat with vendors (existing and potential ones).

16. Read any good books lately?

Definitely – always can find a good read at the local library – as long as it isn’t ‘standards’. No, honestly my favorite authors write in the historical fiction genre– Amanda Quick (aka Jayne Ann Krentz), Julie Garwood, Nora Roberts, and am always looking for something new. I recently finished Jillian Stone’s An Affair with Mr. Kennedy and can highly recommend it.

17. Name one of your guilty pleasures.

Downton Abbey –well any historical costume drama that behaves like a soap. Not sure what I’m going to do until Season 4 starts.

18. What kind of music do you like?

Fairly eclectic tastes in music, but mainly listen to Jazz. Toronto has a great radio station Jazz FM 91 – which is nearly always on in my car.

19. What are your hobbies outside of work?

Family history aka genealogy, and gardening.

20. What would be your ideal vacation? Have you done it, yet?

Going somewhere new and possibly doing something I haven’t done before.

I’ve fond memories of several vacations: rock climbing in the Red Rock Canyon, Nevada; swimming in view of Mount Zermatt, Switzerland; riding the Chunnel train from Paris to London; walking along the shore of the Italian Riviera; the views from the Gondola Car at Banff National Park, and Chicago’s Willis/Sears Tower Skydeck. Wonder what the next vacation will bring?

In this installment of the “20 (or so) Questions” series, we enter the design world and meet Laura Pike-Seeley, Solo at Fossil. Read on…

1. Describe the work done by your employer and how you support the organization’s mission.

Fossil, Inc. is a global retailer specializing in the design, innovation, and marketing of fashion lifestyle and accessory products. Fossil is a distinctive modern vintage design brand, fusing elements of vintage creative culture, Mid-Century Modern design, and contemporary fashion. Perhaps best known for its watches, Fossil offerings also include jewelry, leather goods, sunwear, apparel, and footwear. The company is continuing to grow as it introduces new designs, stores, and product categories. Fossil also creates fashion accessories for a number of other owned and licensed brands, such as Emporio Armani and Michael Kors. The company is constantly developing its multi-brand portfolio.

I support design initiatives by managing the centralized resources that are used by our designers for reference and inspiration. Right now, I manage two major collections. One is a library of books, magazines, audiovisual materials, and other traditional materials, which is used by the art department and product designers. The other is an archive of original samples, which are the textiles, home goods, bags, belts, and other leather goods purchased on shopping trips that are used by our leathers teams for reference and inspiration.

2. What percentage of your collection is electronic?

Most of our traditional library materials are print only. I am currently developing a digital archive of Fossil catalogs. We have also recently converted to digital versions of trend books from providers like Doneger and ESP Edit. These are seasonal forecasts of trends in color and concept for various fashion categories, and they are heavily used. I also am in the middle of a project that involves digitizing and cataloging the archive of original samples.

3. Describe the services that you provide to your patrons.

I’ve spent the majority of my time at Fossil cataloging. The library materials are now cataloged, but I have a long way to go in digitizing and cataloging the original samples. When I first arrived here, the collections were disorganized and not well managed. There was no inventory or way to know where items were located. I convinced my managers that we needed an ILS that would be flexible enough to manage the library materials and the original samples, and they helped me see that designers would respond best to a gallery type, image-centric results view. After investigating over a dozen options and realizing I would need a custom results view, I ended up choosing Soutron Global because I liked the flexibility, interface, and customer service.

When I’m not describing and digitizing resources, I’m providing reference assistance to help connect employees to samples, books, database results, other resources to guide concept and design development. I assemble city shopping guides for those traveling on shopping trips abroad. I manage dozens of periodicals and send out alerts to those who want to know when certain new materials arrive. I train designers on use of the catalog and databases when necessary, and if requested, I will dig through bins to help designers find that perfect sample for a mood board or a presentation. I recently started creating a “Weekly Headlines” news post on our intranet to keep all employees aware of developments in the fashion and retail industries. I expect my role and job duties to expand once I’m finished with the archive digitization project, which won’t necessarily be anytime soon!

4. How many patrons do you serve?

There are over a thousand people working in the Fossil corporate headquarters, and all of them are welcome to visit the library, use the computers, and check out books. But I focus on serving the needs of designers, and there are hundreds of them here.

5. What’s the most used / requested /circulated item in your collection?

For samples, it’s always something purchased on a recent shopping trip, like a bag in a color or silhouette that will be big in an upcoming season. In the library, I would say that one of our most popular items is the 12-volume reprint of the domus journals. Books on midcentury modern design are also requested frequently, since that aesthetic is at the core of Fossil’s designs.

6. How long have you worked there?

I’ve been at Fossil since June of 2011.

7. Do you have an MLS and if so, what school did you receive your degree from?

I have an MLS, with a concentration in Archives Management, and an MA in History from Simmons College. I graduated in January of 2010.

8. What’s the strangest information request you’ve received?

Generally, information requests are design-related, so they are interesting but never what I would call strange. Stuff like, how did the Dada art movement affect typography? The most unexpected request was not work-related; someone was trying to figure out the address of the house he lived in as a child in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He came to me when he didn’t know where else to look for the information. The Albuquerque Public Library had a Local History department that held white pages from the 60s, when he lived in the house, so I gave him the number for the librarian there. He got the information that he was looking for.

9. What databases do you subscribe to?

We subscribe to trend services providers like WGSN and Stylesight, WWD.com, and the Vogue Archive.

10. Have you always been a “Solo”, or did you become one due to organizational change?

I was a Public Librarian right out of grad school, but I was looking for something that would give me more freedom to try new things. When I came to Fossil, I was the first librarian/archivist and am still the only one.

11. Is the library an independent part of your organization, or do you report into a larger department?

I am part of the Brand Team, which is responsible for providing design and concept cohesion for the organization each season. I’m not sure that everyone in the organization recognizes this, especially since I don’t sit very close to that team, so I’m generally regarded as an independent department.

12. What do you do to market yourself as a librarian within your organization?

We have a WordPress-driven Intranet. Like many others, our company is moving away from excessive emails, so I deliver news mostly via the Intranet. Occasionally I will send emails directed just to design teams or leaders who will find the information useful. I do new hire tours nearly every week and trainings when needed. I also post a current awareness newsletter on the intranet each week to promote use of our databases and subscriptions. I set up seasonal displays in the library revolving around the concept for the upcoming seasons we are working on, which is generally a year ahead.

13. Are you involved in any “non-library” activities in your organization? If so, what are they?

Professionally, I’ve got my hands full with library and archive tasks. Socially, Fossil is a great place to work. We have a gym, a Starbucks, and a Café, which encourages me to get out from behind my desk and interact with new people. We also get to enjoy concerts by local musicians, movie marathons related to seasonal concept directions, speakers from vendors and partners like Hatch Show Print, and more. There’s even a company store with discounted products. This is not the type of environment I thought I’d be working in, but it’s rewarding in these and many other ways.

14. Do you currently (or plan to) have any library-themed tattoos?

Love them on other people, but they’re not for me!

15. As solos, we don’t have the luxury of walking down the hall to talk to librarian colleagues. When you have a problem, need advice, or simply want to talk shop, where are some of your favorite places to go?

The Solo listserv was a crucial source of support when I first came to Fossil and had to select an ILS for our collections. This group of virtual strangers became my only sounding board, and they were amazing. I think Twitter and LinkedIn have become great resources for gathering opinions and information. I also talk to friends who are librarians, including the wonderful group I worked with at the public library. Even if they don’t understand everything I do, the people I work with and know here at Fossil are always willing to give me input on decisions I’m facing.

16. Read any good books lately?

Favorites I’ve recently enjoyed include Cloud Atlas, The Book of Lost Things, and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.

17. Name one of your guilty pleasures.

The Mac and Cheese at a restaurant here in Dallas called The Porch is ridiculous. Also, I’m a Pinterest addict.

18. What kind of music do you like?

I’m a Texan, so country, especially Texas country, will always be a favorite. I also love folk, bluegrass and classic rock.

19. What are your hobbies outside of work?

Antiquing is a passion of mine. I love antique and vintage shops, the more eclectic and cluttered the better, and I would go to regional antique fairs every weekend if I could. My husband and I also love going to live comedy shows.

20. What would be your ideal vacation? Have you done it, yet?

Definitely backpacking in Central America. I haven’t done it yet, but I’ve been telling myself that I’ll take a nice long vacation when I finish with the archives digitization project!