ASSOCIATES (vol. 2, no. 2, November 1995) - associates.ucr.edu
AN INTERVIEW WITH GENE KINNALY, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Conducted by Kent Slade Weber County Library System Ogden, Utah kslade@cc.weber.edu Question: Tell us a little about yourself. You work at Library of Congress, right? What do you do there, what made you choose to work there, and what is it like? Answer: I started my library career on April 1, 1974. I wondered at the time if starting a job on April Fool's Day was an omen of things to come. Fortunately, things have worked out pretty good. My first job was as a mail clerk in the mail room of the Copyright Office. The best thing about it was that we got to see the Copyright deposits. In particular, I remember getting into a "muppet war" with a coworker, playing with muppet hand puppets (I was Cookie Monster). I still have the letter from the Library of Congress (LC), notifying me that I had been hired. At the time, I was a GS-3, earning a princely $6,408 per year! Good thing I was living with my folks at the time! I earn considerably more these days, but I can't honestly say that I *have* more money -- I think I had more back then. I also worked as a desk attendant in the Law Library for about a year and a half -- my only venture (thus far) into public services. I was responsible for retrieving books from the Hispanic Law Library for the staff in the division, as well as readers in our reading room. Other duties included reshelving books, shelf-reading, loose-leaf service, labeling and book-plating books, and searching card catalogs. I had about 200,000 volumes to care for (and this was the *smallest* division in the law library). Then, in 1977, I started work in the Shelflisting Section, and I've been involved in shelflisting and cataloging ever since. Now, I'm a Senior Technical Advisor. I am still involved in shelflisting but my job has expanded a *lot* in the last three to four years. I do a lot of training, both one-on-one and formal classroom training. I developed and still teach two shelflisting classes, and I'm the only paraprofessional teaching a computer skills class. I have been involved in writing several technical manuals for internal use, and my name appears with several of my coworkers in the preface to _Subject Cataloging Manual: Shelflisting_, second edition. I have been trained in CIP Verification and, at this point, I process all CIP Verification received on my team (with help, as needed, from a senior cataloger). Soon, I hope to get involved in LC's copy cataloging project. I totally enjoy my job. I work for a great boss and with a great group of people. And LC has been, for me, a really neat place to work. It's a little like working at the United Nations since so many nations and cultures are represented by the LC workforce. Our numbers have dwindled the last few years, but, as a whole, the staff here is really wonderful. Question: I have never heard of the term "shelflisting" before. What is it? Answer: Shelflisting is, in part, the process by which the LC classification number assigned to a book is extended to the point where a unique call number is formulated. In most libraries, one person is responsible for the entire cataloging process for a book, including the assignment of the call number. At LC, because of the size of the collection and the number of items received and retained for the collection each day, the cataloging process was split into three parts: the descriptive cataloging, the subject cataloging, and the shelflisting. It was the shelflister who was responsible for determining the correct filing position in our 3 x 5 card shelflist, determining the appropriate call number which supported that filing position, filing the card, updating the record with the call number, writing the call number in the book, and forwarding the book either to the Decimal Classification Division or to Binding. Other duties included adding copies of books to the collection (writing call numbers in the books and updating the holdings information in the shelflist), filing printed catalog cards into the shelflist, resolving discrepancy reports (incorrect call numbers in the shelflist, in the books, or in the catalog record), and processing books being discarded from the collections. Today many of these duties, and a few more new duties, are performed by LC cataloging technicians. Question: Have you worked at other libraries? What other types of jobs have you had? I have never worked in another library. However, my "grand plan" is to retire in about thirteen years (God and Congress willing) and seek a position in an academic library. I think by that time I will have quite a bit to offer a college or university library. Also, I would hopefully be able to take some classes. In terms of other jobs, most of my experience has been with summer jobs during high school and college. I have been a playground leader, a short-order cook, a restaurant maitre d', and I spent one particularly memorable summer working for the Sewer Department in Brockton, Massachusetts. I was also in the Army Reserves for six years, trained as an Army cook (my wife doesn't let me cook much at home -- maybe there's a connection?). Question: Tell me more about working for the Sewer Department. That sounds, ummm, intriguing! Answer: Are you sure you want to know? Two things about that summer: I learned how to drive stick shift, and out in the back of the plant were some of the most delicious tomatoes I ever had -- all I had to do was forget where they came from! I guess I really lucked out in getting a job at LC, and being able to advance over the years to reach my current position. Now, I can't imagine *not* working in a library. That's why I intend to continue my involvement with libraries after I retire from LC. Question: Are you a member of any state, regional, or national associations, or involved in any group or association? Answer: By January, I will be a member of the Virginia Library Association (VLA), the Southeastern Library Association, and the Council on Library/Media Technicians, Inc. (COLT). I say January because these organization run on a January-to-December cycle. I am already very involved with the Paraprofessional Forum of VLA -- I am serving on the Board -- and I'm preparing a presentation for VLAPF's May 1996 Conference. Question: What do you think the future of libraries holds in store? What do you think about the future of support staff versus librarians? Answer: With the information explosion that has been happening and that will continue to happen, libraries are faced with many opportunities and many dangers. Library staff -- professional and paraprofessional -- must keep up with changing technologies. We have traditionally been the people who know best how to find information. To survive and flourish in today's world and tomorrow's, we must be able to find information using new tools, and we must be leaders in the search for ways in which better access to information is provided for all. In this high-tech, cyberspace world of ours, we still want people to "Ask a librarian" when seeking information, whether that "librarian" is truly a librarian or not, or whether that "librarian" is in person or online. We are the organizers and providers of information, from print to microforms to audio/visual to computer disks and CD-ROMS. We are the logical ones to organize and provide information in an online environment. Our challenge is to be the best-prepared profession to take on this task. Question: Any comments you want to add? Answer: I think it's very, *very* important for library support staff to GET INVOLVED! I spent twenty years of my library career involved only in my job, my day-to-day responsibilities. Then, I attended the annual COLT Conference in Miami and heard Tinker Massey speak. She said a lot of things during the Conference but the real value of her presence there was, for me, her ability to make me think. It took awhile, but I'm off the sidelines now, and *definitely* in the game. I'm participating as fully as I can in LIBSUP and AUTOCAT, two great listservs. I have written an article for _Library Mosaics_, two for _Associates_, and I'm preparing one now for the _Southeastern Librarian_. I have attended COLT Conferences and I will attend again -- a great organization with many very nice and talented folks. I have attended the VLA Paraprofessional Forum, and I will again -- if you *ever* have the chance, this is a great Conference to attend. I'm involved with one library organization (VLA) and will probably be involved in at least one other. I am giving a presentation at a Conference, and something tells me it won't be my last. I *am* involved, and I can tell you, it feels great! AN INTERVIEW WITH GENE KINNALY, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Conducted by Kent Slade Weber County Library System Ogden, Utah kslade@cc.weber.edu Question: Tell us a little about yourself. You work at Library of Congress, right? What do you do there, what made you choose to work there, and what is it like? Answer: I started my library career on April 1, 1974. I wondered at the time if starting a job on April Fool's Day was an omen of things to come. Fortunately, things have worked out pretty good. My first job was as a mail clerk in the mail room of the Copyright Office. The best thing about it was that we got to see the Copyright deposits. In particular, I remember getting into a "muppet war" with a coworker, playing with muppet hand puppets (I was Cookie Monster). I still have the letter from the Library of Congress (LC), notifying me that I had been hired. At the time, I was a GS-3, earning a princely $6,408 per year! Good thing I was living with my folks at the time! I earn considerably more these days, but I can't honestly say that I *have* more money -- I think I had more back then. I also worked as a desk attendant in the Law Library for about a year and a half -- my only venture (thus far) into public services. I was responsible for retrieving books from the Hispanic Law Library for the staff in the division, as well as readers in our reading room. Other duties included reshelving books, shelf-reading, loose-leaf service, labeling and book-plating books, and searching card catalogs. I had about 200,000 volumes to care for (and this was the *smallest* division in the law library). Then, in 1977, I started work in the Shelflisting Section, and I've been involved in shelflisting and cataloging ever since. Now, I'm a Senior Technical Advisor. I am still involved in shelflisting but my job has expanded a *lot* in the last three to four years. I do a lot of training, both one-on-one and formal classroom training. I developed and still teach two shelflisting classes, and I'm the only paraprofessional teaching a computer skills class. I have been involved in writing several technical manuals for internal use, and my name appears with several of my coworkers in the preface to _Subject Cataloging Manual: Shelflisting_, second edition. I have been trained in CIP Verification and, at this point, I process all CIP Verification received on my team (with help, as needed, from a senior cataloger). Soon, I hope to get involved in LC's copy cataloging project. I totally enjoy my job. I work for a great boss and with a great group of people. And LC has been, for me, a really neat place to work. It's a little like working at the United Nations since so many nations and cultures are represented by the LC workforce. Our numbers have dwindled the last few years, but, as a whole, the staff here is really wonderful. Question: I have never heard of the term "shelflisting" before. What is it? Answer: Shelflisting is, in part, the process by which the LC classification number assigned to a book is extended to the point where a unique call number is formulated. In most libraries, one person is responsible for the entire cataloging process for a book, including the assignment of the call number. At LC, because of the size of the collection and the number of items received and retained for the collection each day, the cataloging process was split into three parts: the descriptive cataloging, the subject cataloging, and the shelflisting. It was the shelflister who was responsible for determining the correct filing position in our 3 x 5 card shelflist, determining the appropriate call number which supported that filing position, filing the card, updating the record with the call number, writing the call number in the book, and forwarding the book either to the Decimal Classification Division or to Binding. Other duties included adding copies of books to the collection (writing call numbers in the books and updating the holdings information in the shelflist), filing printed catalog cards into the shelflist, resolving discrepancy reports (incorrect call numbers in the shelflist, in the books, or in the catalog record), and processing books being discarded from the collections. Today many of these duties, and a few more new duties, are performed by LC cataloging technicians. Question: Have you worked at other libraries? What other types of jobs have you had? I have never worked in another library. However, my "grand plan" is to retire in about thirteen years (God and Congress willing) and seek a position in an academic library. I think by that time I will have quite a bit to offer a college or university library. Also, I would hopefully be able to take some classes. In terms of other jobs, most of my experience has been with summer jobs during high school and college. I have been a playground leader, a short-order cook, a restaurant maitre d', and I spent one particularly memorable summer working for the Sewer Department in Brockton, Massachusetts. I was also in the Army Reserves for six years, trained as an Army cook (my wife doesn't let me cook much at home -- maybe there's a connection?). Question: Tell me more about working for the Sewer Department. That sounds, ummm, intriguing! Answer: Are you sure you want to know? Two things about that summer: I learned how to drive stick shift, and out in the back of the plant were some of the most delicious tomatoes I ever had -- all I had to do was forget where they came from! I guess I really lucked out in getting a job at LC, and being able to advance over the years to reach my current position. Now, I can't imagine *not* working in a library. That's why I intend to continue my involvement with libraries after I retire from LC. Question: Are you a member of any state, regional, or national associations, or involved in any group or association? Answer: By January, I will be a member of the Virginia Library Association (VLA), the Southeastern Library Association, and the Council on Library/Media Technicians, Inc. (COLT). I say January because these organization run on a January-to-December cycle. I am already very involved with the Paraprofessional Forum of VLA -- I am serving on the Board -- and I'm preparing a presentation for VLAPF's May 1996 Conference. Question: What do you think the future of libraries holds in store? What do you think about the future of support staff versus librarians? Answer: With the information explosion that has been happening and that will continue to happen, libraries are faced with many opportunities and many dangers. Library staff -- professional and paraprofessional -- must keep up with changing technologies. We have traditionally been the people who know best how to find information. To survive and flourish in today's world and tomorrow's, we must be able to find information using new tools, and we must be leaders in the search for ways in which better access to information is provided for all. In this high-tech, cyberspace world of ours, we still want people to "Ask a librarian" when seeking information, whether that "librarian" is truly a librarian or not, or whether that "librarian" is in person or online. We are the organizers and providers of information, from print to microforms to audio/visual to computer disks and CD-ROMS. We are the logical ones to organize and provide information in an online environment. Our challenge is to be the best-prepared profession to take on this task. Question: Any comments you want to add? Answer: I think it's very, *very* important for library support staff to GET INVOLVED! I spent twenty years of my library career involved only in my job, my day-to-day responsibilities. Then, I attended the annual COLT Conference in Miami and heard Tinker Massey speak. She said a lot of things during the Conference but the real value of her presence there was, for me, her ability to make me think. It took awhile, but I'm off the sidelines now, and *definitely* in the game. I'm participating as fully as I can in LIBSUP and AUTOCAT, two great listservs. I have written an article for _Library Mosaics_, two for _Associates_, and I'm preparing one now for the _Southeastern Librarian_. I have attended COLT Conferences and I will attend again -- a great organization with many very nice and talented folks. I have attended the VLA Paraprofessional Forum, and I will again -- if you *ever* have the chance, this is a great Conference to attend. I'm involved with one library organization (VLA) and will probably be involved in at least one other. I am giving a presentation at a Conference, and something tells me it won't be my last. I *am* involved, and I can tell you, it feels great!