Title: Access Services Librarian
Library/Department: Perkins – ADS
Location: West Campus (Perkins)
Years at Duke: 7 months
In a nutshell, what do you do at your library and in your division? (DUL, Medical Center, Law, Divinity, Ford)
At Perkins I’m responsible for aligning services at the Service Desk with the priorities of the larger department in support of connecting patrons with broader DUL resources, spaces and programs. We’re currently navigating what this looks like post-ish-pandemic and taking a deep look at how to better manage workflows and service expectations to balance patron demand and staff capacity. It’s a challenging – and rewarding – role.
What is the best thing you’ve read/watched/listened to recently?
Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul“. Hands down. I’m obsessed.
What do you like to do outside of work?
Rest. It’s a sacred priority with an hour-long commute. Beyond that, hiking is a favorite and simple time with friends over a home-cooked meal. I am traveling out of the country to London for the first time in my 29 years next month; I hope to put a good number of stamps on my passport. This trip is for the anniversary of my 29th birthday. I’m not turning 30 yet.
If you had to pick one thing, what’s the best part of your job so far?
The best part of my job is how welcomed I have felt by DUL and every single person here. Even if my introversion made it hard to receive. In my Black colleagues, I feel professional belonging. I feel more and more each day that we are simply friends by virtue of sharing the same professional space for so much time out of our weeks. We see each other. We seek each other out to encourage one another and…share in things that are distinctly us. By my white colleagues, I do not feel tokenized – I feel heard. I feel like true connections happen. I feel there’s adequate space made for my humanity that’s balanced by challenges to grow. I truly feel that diversity and inclusion are the goals and there’s meaningful progress being made…even while equity is being refined. My role can be a bit challenging in the sheer amount of information that’s required of me and for public services. It’s highly dependent on relationships. It gets stressful. But I’m grateful that these relationships (the best part of my job) are so strong.
