Title: Librarian for Marine Science
Library/Department: Head, Marine Lab Library/Research & Public Services
Location: The Pearse Memorial Library at the Duke University Marine Lab is located in the lovely coastal town of Beaufort, NC.
Years at Duke: I started at Duke in August 2017, so 6 years this August.
In a nutshell, what do you do at Duke University Libraries?
As the librarian for Marine Science, I support the research and teaching needs of faculty, students, visiting scholars, and staff in the Marine Science & Conservation Division of the Nicholas School of the Environment. This can mean all sorts of things depending on who is asking a question. I might help researchers pick the most appropriate source to search, help them understand why the got the results that they did, teach students how to think critically about their information they are finding, advise on copyright issues, or teach someone how to keep track of all their citations.
I am always on the lookout for ways I can collaborate with the Marine Lab community and ways to strengthen the connection in the libraries and externally between the Marine Lab in Beaufort and main campus in Durham. I do some collection development, buying resources that support the research, teaching, and general interest of faculty, staff, and students. When I am wearing my other hat, Head of the Marine Lab Library, I deal with a little bit of everything including access issues, stack maintenance, and dehumidifiers to deal with the high humidity in the building earlier this week.
If you had to pick one thing, what’s the best part of your job so far?
Just one? I’ve been lucky enough to have amazing colleagues who continue to support me as I transition to this new role AND I gained an entire island of fantastic new colleagues. Hmmm, I guess that is one thing but two different locations.
What the best thing you’ve read/watched/listened to recently?
I just finished reading The Puzzler by A. J. Jacobs. If you want to laugh, I highly recommend reading any of his books. This particular one comes with access to a pdf full of puzzles for the reader to solve!
What do you like most about living in The Triangle Beaufort?
The views. I am in awe of the view every time I drive over Beaufort Highrise Bridge on my way home from the Marine Lab.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I love all types of games and puzzles, especially jigsaw puzzles and Sudoku. I’ve been quilting and doing yoga for many, many years and have discovered some new places to do both (not at the same time) on the coast. Recently though, I’ve been spending a lot of time talking….the locals are delightfully chatty, especially once they hear my Massachusetts accent.
