I’m asking some of the people you might encounter on the UMBC campus, including students, faculty and staff, to answer a few questions about themselves and their experiences. These are their responses.
Hometown: Canandaigua, NY
Q: How long have you been at UMBC?
A: I’ve been back at UMBC and working in the Library since October 2007. I was previously here as an American Studies undergrad from 2000-2004.
Q: In 12 words or less, what role(s) do you play on campus?
A: I assist students and staff with historical research materials.
Q: What aspect of your UMBC role(s) do you enjoy most?
A: The University Archives have been getting a lot of use this year and it’s been really fun to work with these materials with the current students. Seeing the evolution and development of the campus, even over our comparatively short 44 years, can really foster that sense of school spirit that many claim is lacking within our student body (though that has never seemed true to me!). I also enjoy that through working with the University Archives I have the opportunity to interact with a wide range of departments and people across campus.
Q: What is the most important or memorable thing you learned in college/have learned at UMBC?
A: Being knowledgeable about our shared past can be a powerful tool. I saw this through community and local history projects as a student and am happy that I can now share this with students and the broader UMBC community.
Q: Complete this sentence: “I am a big fan of __________”
A: Twitter, believe or not. I've been using Twitter to communicate with other library and archives professionals and it has been a great resource. I don't use it personally or socially and I don't talk about what I had for lunch. It works for me kind of like an RSS feed - other people post pertinent links to new web projects, grants, reports, and articles, and they're all collected in one place. A lot of professional organizations, libraries, and museums have accounts and they push out news and other updates; I imagine this is true for other professional groups as well. My account is @dailyarchivist, if you're interested.
I'm also a huge fan of my adopted hometown, Baltimore, and the Baltimore Orioles. I always like to root for the underdog!
I'm also a huge fan of my adopted hometown, Baltimore, and the Baltimore Orioles. I always like to root for the underdog!
Q: Do you have any UMBC stories, little-known facts about UMBC, favorite spots on campus, or anything else you’d like to share?
A: Collecting little-known facts is part of my job, so here are a few of my favorites. Students used to have tug-of-war competitions and raft races in “Library Lake” – now just called the Library Pond. Otis Redding performed on campus in 1967 during the 1^st Spring Week, UMBC’s early version of Quadmania. And a previous president wanted to change the university’s name to MIT: Maryland Institute of Technology. That didn’t go over very well, as you can imagine!
My favorite spot on campus as a student was the huge porch at Patapsco. As a staff member it’s probably the pond, which I walk by everyday on my way to work.
