Education Background:
B.S. in Business Management; A.A.S in Travel and Tourism
What was your professional background before your current position?
I have been working in the library at Tompkins Cortland for nearly twenty-eight years. I have held various positions in the library during that time.
Describe your current position:
As Coordinator of Information Delivery Services, I am responsible for managing the service desk, reserves, circulation, and resource sharing.
What do you like best about your work?
I love working directly with students, faculty, and staff. My job, the functions of my job, and the people that I work with are different every day. This makes my job tremendously interesting and extremely diverse.
What has been your biggest professional challenge during the pandemic?
Last March, when SUNY directed every campus to immediately prepare to go remote, our library was tasked with mobilizing all our services to support students in this effort. While we had a strong set of remote services prior to the pandemic, moving "everything" to a remote service was extremely challenging. Doing this while working remotely only added to a difficult situation.
How are you seeing issues of diversity, equity and inclusion play a more prominent role in your work environment?
Diversity in the workplace has always been an important issue for me at Tompkins Cortland. For a long time, I have worked hard to hire a very diverse group of student workers to encourage the idea of inclusion at the college. In the face of a very complex year professionally, and the events that gripped our country through much of 2020, I have resolved to continue my efforts to make the library a diverse and welcoming environment for all students so that when they return to campus they will once again see the library as a comfortable and inviting place to get work done.
What other organizations are you involved with?
IDS Project, SUNY LSP, DEAC (Diversity, Equity, Action Council), SCRLC's DEI Advisory Committee, and the BIPOC Community Calls (co-facilitator).
What advice would you give to someone new to the field?
As I have been involved with information delivery for 28 years, I would strongly encourage people new to the field to embrace the technology that has made us so effective in our ability to provide our services. I would also recommend that those entering the field be mindful of the need to maintain the personal relationships with your patrons which is an equally important part of our function in the library world.
What software/web tools have helped you best pivot to remote work?
Microsoft TEAMS, Zoom, Cisco, various Social Media, One Drive, Google Docs
Are there any other tips you would like to share that have helped you work remotely?
Maintaining connections both within and outside your institution are the key to successfully working remotely. The amazing staff at the TC3 Service Desk staff have allowed me to continue to function as we did before the pandemic began. I have really benefitted from my connections with others in my field, like my “pals” from Ithaca College. That has definitely been a game changer, as has my regular meetings with my IDS group, my friends at SCRLC, and my colleagues at SUNY.
Favorite blog or website:
Any travel website or DIY home project sites
What is bringing you hope or comfort right now?
Without question, the vaccination process in our country and the world has made me feel that we might be returning to a level of "normal" that we were enjoying before the pandemic began.
What are you most proud of?
Professionally, I am most proud of my ability to learn and incorporate the newest technology into the services that we offer at Tompkins Cortland. Personally, I am very proud of my children and how they have succeeded in life despite the pandemic and the events of the past year.
What would you like to learn?
There seems to be no end to the changes that technology has brought to our field. I am extremely encouraged by what we were able to accomplish despite what 2020 has thrown at us and I would like that to be my focus as I look to 2021.
Is there anything about you that others would be surprised to know?
I am first and foremost a "foodie" who loves to try anything new and different. I am huge fan of the authentic restaurants in New York City’s Chinatown. Since we have not been to the city in over a year, I’ve perfected my own version of beef noodle soup. It must be good because my son requests it regularly!
Thank you for sharing Lucy!
