Q: Tell us a little about the work you do as Circulation Supervisor for LSA Technology Services.
I oversee the LSA Technology Services Loan Centers. We have a lot of equipment available to LSA students, faculty, and staff to use free of charge. The use of the equipment does not necessarily have to be for university related assignments or work, as long as it's not for for-profit. The only thing we ask in return is that the equipment gets returned on time and in the same condition that it was received!
I have many responsibilities as Circulation Supervisor. One of my major responsibilities is supervising the student employees that work at the Loan Centers. There are about 25-30 Loan Center students right now as well as two full time Senior Media Assistants (SMAs). I try to keep things running around here at the front desk and teach the student employees about customer service and how to triage situations as they come in.
I also do special request checkouts for students, faculty, and staff, when necessary. For example, we have instructors who train their students on how to use our equipment and will hold a class period in the Media Center. In addition, during the summer, we have a lot of people going abroad with our equipment so I arrange those checkouts.
Another responsibility I have is purchasing new equipment for the loan centers. We recently replaced our camcorders and projectors with new upgraded ones. A lot of factors and planning goes into purchasing new or replacement equipment. Not only do I have to think about the loan equipment but also how that equipment will function with the equipment in all of our collaboration spaces, edit rooms, and LSA classrooms. I also look at equipment cases. A well laid out case can make the checkout and checkin process much smoother.
Finally, I create and refine our policies and procedures for the Loan Centers. I don't want there to be a policy or procedure that we aren't able to explain. I rely on other Technology Services staff to help test and provide feedback on the policies and procedures we have in place so we are constantly making improvements.
Q: How do new technologies and equipment impact your job and the loan centers?
We have a built-in replacement cycle for all of our equipment. It is more of a life cycle. After a certain period of time we look at the equipment we have—what shape its in, if it still functions with the other equipment that we have, how the classroom equipment has changed, and if replacement parts are still available. From there, I determine if and when a piece of equipment needs to be replaced. For example, we could no longer replace one of our cameras since most cameras are now moving to 4K technology. We needed to order a new 4K camera. We then also had to upgrade all of the SD cards for 4K. Now we are looking into how our edit and collaboration rooms can accommodate 4K editing. As people are starting to film more in 4K its affecting our classrooms spaces as well because instructors are holding student viewings of final video projects and film festivals. So you can see how new technologies can really impact the equipment we have in both the loan centers and in LSA classrooms.
Q: What is your favorite part about your job?
I have two favorite parts. First, I like connecting people to what they need, especially if they are unsure about what will work best. It is really gratifying to help people determine what will best suit their needs and help them accomplish their project or goal. They trust in our expertise. Second, I like working with the student employees and my Senior Media Assistants (SMAs). For many of the student employees, this is their first job and for most of my SMAs this is their first full-time job post graduation so I like being a part of their journey. Hopefully when they leave here I have made an impact on their lives.
Q: What are a few things you would like to accomplish in the 2019-20 academic year?
Planning for fiscal year 2020. I would love to replace our iPads. We have the iPads picked out but need to choose a waterproof case for them. We are also working on posters to advertise the new equipment we have available. In addition to our new cameras and projectors, we also have new items such as backdrops, which we have never offered before, and new bluetooth speakers for playing music and using outside. I want people to know we have these new items. I also need to hire a new SMA and am in the midst of the hiring process right now.
Q: You enjoy cooking and baking, tell us a little about that?
I started to learn how to cook my senior year of college. I lived for the first time in an apartment my junior year with a bunch of friends. Each week we would have a group dinner and take turns cooking. Everyone else always had these great recipes and mine would be like Macaroni and Cheese in a box or frozen chicken. This inspired me to learn more about cooking and try out some new recipes. I now find something empowering about cooking. I can see the ingredients and decide how much to add or not add to the dish. I make my own frozen dinners by making large batches of recipes. It saves me time during the week and I don't have to eat the same thing for five days in a row. Baking is just fun! I make sweet tasting stuff that people really enjoy eating. I do have to bring it into work otherwise I will sit down and eat all of it.
Q: What was the last book you read?
The last book I finished was My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite. It got a lot of good reviews so I thought I would try it and I really enjoyed it. Right now I am reading The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep by H. G. Parry. The story is about two brothers and one has the ability to summon characters and bring them out of books into the real world. I am also listening to the Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale. It’s a true crime story that takes place is Victorian England about the murder of a three-year-old boy and how a detective was called in to solve the crime. It really shook up the perception of what a detective was because he really had to dig deep into family secrets. Before people had this idealized vision of what a detective was, a man of science, a Sherlock Holmes, if you will, and afterwards detectives became a little darker.
Q: What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I only have one kidney because I donated a kidney to my dad last December. My dad is diabetic. He was diagnosed back when I was in middle school. It has been apparent for a while now that he would need a new kidney. It was getting to the point where he was needing to be on dialysis and that would not be good for his heart. I have always known I would be the logical choice for that. My sister has three small children who are special needs and have some health issues. My niece was pregnant at the time and has a toddler. I am single with no children, have good medical benefits, and have the same blood type. No brainer.
So, starting in July, I began the process for testing to see if I could donate. First, you have to find out if you are compatible. Then, because I was a living donor, they had to worry about my health, too. They wanted to make sure that it was viable for me to live on one kidney. I underwent a lot of blood tests, a glucose test, numerous CT scans, and had to meet with a psychologist. I also had to prepare a lot at work before the surgery for when I would be out on leave for recovery.
After the surgery, I went down to visit my dad in his recovery room and it was surprising to see how different our recoveries were. He was eating cheese burgers after and I could only stomach liquids. When I was released from the hospital I stayed at my parents for three weeks before coming home to my house. One thing I needed to do to help build the nerve endings was walk so my dog and I went on a lot of walks. I also wasn’t prepared for how exhausted I would be afterwards. My dad and I are doing much better now and, of course, I am back at work. The only thing that's different for me is that I have a lot more scars than I did before.
