Author Archives: Michael Bobak

Getting to Know the Library Staff – Casey Kralik, Technical Services Librarian

Happy new year everyone! Time for a new post for our ongoing article series which focuses on getting to know some of the Bellevue University Library staff through a few interview questions. This month we are going to meet Casey Kralik, Technical Services Librarian.

How did you get your start at Bellevue University?

“I began working at Bellevue University in January 2005 as the Technical Services Librarian.  I found out about the job from a family member of another librarian while working at my previous position. It was a great opportunity to be able to get back into the academic environment and I took it.”

What led you to libraries?

“In the mid-1990s, I worked for the Nebraska Educational Television Council of Higher Education and also volunteered for the Nebraska State Historical Society and it was my work at these two places that really solidified my love for learning, education and libraries.”

Tell us something about your role in the library that most people here wouldn’t know but should know about.

“I suppose that not a lot of people know about how much I cover and oversee in the library. While my job includes cataloging, administration, serials, archives, donations, and acquisitions, I also have become a “accidental library marketer” and will soon be an author of a book involving cataloging, specifically Resource, Description and Access (RDA).”

If you could meet any famous person (alive or dead), who would it be and what would you ask them?

“Betty Crocker – I would like to know her thoughts on how she would fare on a show like Top Chef.”

 

Getting to Know the Library Staff – Margie McCandless, Reference Support Specialist

It is that time of the month for a new post for our ongoing article series which focuses on getting to know some of the Bellevue University Library staff through a few interview questions. This month we are going to meet Margie McCandless, Reference Support Specialist.

How did you get your start at Bellevue University?

“By chance I read an article in the Omaha World Herald about Bellevue University’s growth. At the same time I was looking for a library job and noticed there was an opening at the Bellevue University Library and knew it would be a good place to work.”

What led you to libraries?

“I have always been interested in libraries. I worked in a library all throughout high school and college, which led me to pursue a BS in Education and Library Science. Since then I have worked in public, school, and now academic libraries.”

Tell us something about your role in the library that most people here wouldn’t know but should know about.

“I am responsible for maintaining the library’s BUILD IT tutorial and I am currently in the process of converting it to a new technological platform.”

If you could meet any famous person (alive or dead), who would it be and what would you ask them?

“Mother Theresa – I’d ask her how she managed to keep going day after day under such awful conditions when we have trouble putting up with life’s little irritations.”

Getting to Know the Library Staff – Jennifer Sorensen, Technical Services Assistant

As Fall makes its way through Bellevue and Winter lingers close it is time for a new post for our ongoing article series which focuses on getting to know some of the Bellevue University Library staff through a few interview questions. This month we are going to meet Jennifer Sorensen, Technical Services Assistant!

How did you get your start at Bellevue University?

“I accepted the position of Technical Services Assistant and have been here for roughly 5 years now.”

What led you to libraries?

“I really like the appreciation of knowledge and imagination that libraries encourage without all the rules and constraints of traditional education. I started in education and moved into libraries.”

Tell us something about your role in the library that most people here wouldn’t know but should know about.

“I see and process all of the new materials into the library. Because of this I know our library’s collection very well and can easily help anyone locate materials.”

If you could meet any famous person (alive or dead), who would it be and what would you ask them?

“Ringo Starr – I would want to ask him about his life experiences such as people he has met, places he has visited, and the multitude of things he has done in his life.”

Getting to Know the Library Staff – Allison Schafer, Circulation Assistant

A new month, a new post for our ongoing article series which focuses on getting to know some of the Bellevue University Library staff through a few interview questions. This month we are going to meet Allison Schafer, Circulation Assistant!

How did you get your start at Bellevue University?

“The library was hiring part-time circulation assistants and it seemed like a good place to start a library career.”

What led you to libraries?

“I was working at the University of Nebraska Kearney Library as a student worker when I attended classes there. I enjoyed the work, which led me to seek a career in libraries.”

Tell us something about your role in the library that most people here wouldn’t know but should know about.

“I am heavily involved in shelf shifting, especially the most recent project to shift oversized books, reference collection, and the general collection.”

If you could meet any famous person (alive or dead), who would it be and what would you ask them?

“Agatha Christie – How did you come up with all those great mysteries!”

Getting to Know the Library Staff – Linda Black, Reference Support Specialist

This post is the third installment of an ongoing article series which focuses on getting to know some of the Bellevue University Library staff through a few interview questions. This month we are going to meet Linda Black, Reference Support Specialist!

How did you get your start at Bellevue University?

“I was looking for a library position and saw a job posting at Bellevue University for the Reference Support Specialist position and decided to apply. I have now been here, in that exact position, for almost 11 years.”

What led you to libraries?

“I always liked reading and libraries and when I took some library classes, mostly cataloging classes, at the University of Nebraska at Omaha I realized and felt that library work is a good fit for my personality and it was something I would like to pursue.”

Tell us something about your role in the library that most people here wouldn’t know but should know about.

“A lot of people may not realize that I actually create all the catalog records for the LibGuides within our eCatalog.”

If you could meet any famous person (alive or dead), who would it be and what would you ask them?

“Cesar Millan! I would like to talk to him about dogs and dog behavior!”

Getting to Know the Library Staff – Diane Osborne, Serials Specialist

This post marks the second of an ongoing article series which focuses on getting to know some of the Bellevue University Library staff through a few interview questions. This month we are going to meet Diane Osborne, Serials Specialist!

How did you get your start at Bellevue University?

“I saw a job listing for the Technical Services Assistant. The library was looking for a detailed and organized person to fill this position. This sounded exactly like me so I applied. That was over 12 years ago and eventually I moved into my current role as the Serials Specialist.”

What led you to libraries?

“I use to teach elementary education and I liked the idea of working in a library. Ever since I was a child I use to play library. I would go through the entire process of checking in and out books, shelving them, everything!”

Tell us something about your role in the library that most people here wouldn’t know but should know about.

“I work closely with free access journals. Part of my job is to investigate coverage we have, referred to as “holdings” in the library world, and if that coverage is lacking then I go ahead and add that to our journal holding.”

If you could be an animal, which one would you be and why?

“A cat.  They are clean, independent, cute, cuddly and have a mind of their own.  They are also sneaky and very clever.”

Getting to Know the Library Staff – Katie Foote, Part-time Circulation Assistant

This post marks the beginning of an ongoing article series which focuses on getting to know some of the Bellevue University Library staff through a few interview questions. This month we are going to meet Katie Foote, Part-time Circulation Assistant.

How did you get your start at Bellevue University?

“I got an email through the MO-SLIS Listserv about a job opening at the Bellevue University Library and decided to apply. It sounded like a good fit for me.”

What led you to libraries?

“I really like books and being by books; However, I know that the library is about information and bringing that information to people. I like to help people by connecting them to the information they need.”

Tell us something about your role in the library that most people here wouldn’t know but should know about.

“When people come up to me with computer troubles I usually have little clue as to how to fix it myself and I just try some basic troubleshooting methods to see if I can fix it. I’m usually just in the dark as they are!”

If you could meet any famous person (alive or dead), who would it be and what would you ask them?

“I would like to meet Theodore Roosevelt. I would ask him how to be as successful as he was, and most importantly, how to be as awesome as he was!”

3 Tools to Help you Become a More Efficient Student

Have you ever come across a new tool, piece of software, etc. that has made your life so much easier and you can’t imagine how you survived without it? Well, when I was in graduate school I came across three tools that made my time as a student much easier and I would like to share those with you!

1)      Dropbox: This was easily the most useful tool I ever used as a student. Dropbox is a free service that lets you store all your files to their cloud servers and also synchronize those files across all your different devices. This was a life saver for me. In the beginning, I was plagued by using multiple devices to attend class, take notes, and work on assignments. Often times I would have an updated file on the device I wasn’t using at the time and had to take precious time to fully update that file across all my devices, which was a pain. Once I installed Dropbox I was able to work on a file at school on my laptop and know the file will be updated, with no intervention from me, when I got home to my desktop. I never once had to worry if all my files were synchronized and up to date.

2)      Google Scholar: Most everyone is familiar with Google’s search engine but not many people know that Google has a search engine that only searches for academic articles and publications. I used this extensively when I was writing my thesis to cross check halfway complete citations and find free articles online. A lot of times I would only have an article’s title and I would use Google Scholar to find the full citation and match that information to the library’s resources to find the full article.

3)      Rate My Professor: Have you ever wondered what kind of teaching style a professor has? Or what exactly has other students said about a professor? This website allows students to rate their professors in order to let other students know how they felt about the class. This is a useful tool when you are signing up for classes and may be registering for a class taught by a professor you have never had before. However, with everything that is user generated, each review should be taken with a grain of salt and may not be 100% reflective of the professor’s teaching style or capability.

So, there you have it. Those three tools helped me a ton when I was a student. Perhaps you have a tool you would like to suggest? Comment on this blog post with your suggestions and ideas!
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