By Daniela Suzarte, Print Collections Services Associate
Summer is the best time for us in Collection Services to meet with the Special and Area Studies Collections (SASC) managers. The fall and spring semesters are far too hectic to easily coordinate schedules, but summer offers a reprieve from the usual hustle and bustle of academic library life. With the increasing number of instruction sessions (208 in 2025 compared to 121 in 2024), our collection managers need a well-earned slow period. We take this opportunity to meet with them to go over their print collections: updates, future projects, donations, backlogs, selection assistance, spreadsheets, and timelines. Each of the 14 Special & Area Studies Collections are tailored to a fascinating and robust genre of unique print and archival materials managed by passionate and knowledgeable stewards.
To help with the workload, we currently have four students who help us with various Collection Services print projects. Our two most recent hires are helping us reshelve books from the Latin American and Caribbean Collection (LACC) that were digitized for Google Books. We sent out approximately 17,000 items to get digitized. The goal is that these books will be accessible to all users near and far, providing better discoverability and aiding their ability to research and use our materials.
One of the biggest print projects we are currently working on is the mold remediation project. Unfortunately, due to leaks and common historic building issues, mold entered the stacks, predominantly on the 4th and 5th floors. We’ve had to pivot quite a bit and coordinate various workflows to find a feasible timeline to preserve and protect our materials. Katie Smith, our Interim Preservation Librarian and Conservator, her team, volunteers from across the library, and various folks at SASC have been paramount in coordinating the mold remediation effort, workflow, and data gathering. A combined effort of many library employees have come together to help in a triage effort to move and clean the affected books. Based on our estimates, it would take roughly three or four years per floor if it were just our team on this project. However, thanks to those who advocated for using an outside mold remediation company, we now have the resources to move this project forward without taking various years per floor. A huge thank you to everyone involved in securing the support needed for this critical project! Things are still being finalized, but I’m happy to report that things are moving forward well.
I often interact with Public Services on various projects, from covering the Latin American and Carribean Collection desk to reshelving Google Book items. Sometimes when Grand Reading Room (GRR) students have overlapping shifts, the GRR Public Services team allows them to work on Collection Services projects, which is a great way for us to get extra help and gives students exposure to different units within the department. Additionally, when we have large moves, we ask Public Services if they have students available to assist. We’re always so grateful when we can get support for gift moves. It sometimes makes the difference between taking multiple hours versus just a few minutes. The more hands helping, the faster it goes!
As the SASC Print Collections Associate, I’m also part of various committees and working groups. I’m proud to be the co-chair of the Accessibility Advisory Committee along with Matthew Daley. I feel so fortunate to work alongside all the passionate and hardworking folks on that committee. During the last couple of years, there has been so much going on in the realm of accessibility. Working with not just the committee but other folks around the library to promote the accessibility and discovery of our exceedingly cool and amazing collections has been so rewarding.
Perhaps this is more like a season in the life rather than a day in the life, but in a nutshell these are topics and projects that involve my day-to-day work. I feel lucky not only to work with the SASC print collections but also to work alongside so many inspiring and helpful colleagues; it makes the work feel so much more exciting and fun!
P.S. Since we’re all book nerds here, my current favorite read is called A Psalm for the Wild-Built. It’s a beautiful exploration of humanity, sentience, nature, philosophy, and the self. I am obsessed with it! It’s part of a series called Monk & Robot — I highly recommend it!