by Prof. Junior Tidal
Kimberly Abrams
Electronic Resources and Cataloging Librarian
What is your academic and library background?What made you want to become a librarian? Was there any event or person that influenced you?
While I was working as a student assistant at Pitts Theology Library, I was making decisions about my career, and the Director, Pat Graham, supported my decision to go to Library School and become a Librarian.
At City Tech, I will be doing periodicals, cataloging, and managing electronic resources.
My first impression is that City Tech has a well-run library and is a great place to work. So far, there have not been any surprises!
In the next few years, I plan to write a few articles in the field of electronic resource management and to develop my role here at City Tech.
My favorite subject is Religious Studies and I have particular interest in Shi’ism. My favorite fiction author is Carson McCullers.
I am a regular reader of the NYTimes and highly recommend online access.
Nora Almeida
Instruction and Reference Librarian
My academic background is in literature and the fine arts. Before I studied library science, I completed an MFA in poetry and taught English Literature and Composition at CUNY and other Universities. My areas of specialization are Post-Modern and Contemporary American literature, experimental poetry, and hybrid literature. I earned a MLIS from Pratt Institute in 2012, and have since worked in public archives and at CUNY libraries. Through my teaching and experience as a librarian, I have become more interested in critical pedagogy and the intersection of critical theory and information science.
What were your first impressions of life at City Tech? Were there any surprises?
I taught in the City Tech Library Department as an adjunct for a year before starting my current position and worked at the Baruch Library for several years so was already somewhat familiar with City Tech students and with the CUNY library system. That said, I was surprised by the collaborative environment here. It’s a big community but in many ways, City Tech feels like a small place in that there is a lot of interdisciplinary, project-based work happening.
I am always striving to be a better teacher. I’ve been teaching for about 8 years now and every semester I learn something new that I can incorporate in my teaching. I think it’s really important to position Information Literacy as an integral part of all disciplines and to make sure the Library is a part of students’ college experience. I would like to pursue more avenues for digital integration of library and educational technology platforms like Blackboard and OpenLab. I would also like to contribute to productive conversations about Information Literacy and General Education that are already happening through great initiatives like Living Lab.
I have many favorite authors. I mostly read fiction although lately I’ve been reading hybrid works and creative nonfiction as well. I just finished a Hungarian novel called “The Door,” by Magda Szabo, and can’t wait for the next volume of “My Struggle,” the 6 volume memoir series by Karl Ove Knausgard, to be translated. If I could only bring one book with me to a desert island, I think it (might) be Jorge Luis Borges’ Collected Fictions because his work is so expansive that you can re-read it and always find something new.
Gordon Xu
Systems Librarian
I graduated with a MLIS from McGill University. Previously, I worked as a Reference Librarian at Barry University. After that, I worked as an Integrated Systems Librarian at South Dakota State University.
Many years ago, when relocating to Canada, I had a very impressive experience with Canadian libraries. I found myself engaged by this profession. Finally, I decided to choose librarianship as my career goal.
I provide technical support for the smooth functioning of library systems.
The library staff are very dedicated to their library users. There are no real surprises.
In the next few years, I’d like to provide leadership and direction for innovative services and technologies. I’d like to adopt and implement strategies to provide high-quality, robust systems that facilitate search, discovery, preservation, and delivery of library services and resources to the patrons.
My favorite subjects of study are assessment of information systems, library programs, and services, and design and adaptation of information systems.
YiMeng Chen
IT Associate
What is your work like at City Tech Library?
I maintain various equipment, collect equipment data, and track data usage. In the future, I would love to work on ways to streamline processes and work out an automated life-cycle management plan and a real-time display for these data, so that it can be used to improve satisfaction and services of the library.
How is IT different in the library than other campus environments?
I’m not sure of other campus environments, but the City Tech Library provides a really nice and friendly working environment, and I really enjoy it.
What were your first impressions of life at City Tech? Were there any surprises?
I started out as a freshmen student, coming into City Tech from high school. I was really the typical passive type. My first impression was sort of just to follow along and pretty much stay quiet and graduate/move along in life.
There were many surprises. City Tech has taught me much, and in having chances to deal with many smart individuals and unique personalities of people at City Tech, I feel like I’ve grown a lot, and become aware that I am able to help and contribute to the experiences that City Tech can offer students –that’s the biggest surprise.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I like to skate. Occasionally, when a catchy video game comes out, I will play. Often though, I will run across interesting open source codes to tamper with, and make various snippets of code for future use/reference.
Todd Wilson
IT Associate
What is your work like at City Tech Library?
Currently, I work for the Library as an IT Associate, which in itself, doesn’t really tell you much. But, to clarify, I am the Windows Server System Administrator. As such, I take care of all of the Windows based servers that service the Library, I perform updates, monitor and introduce new services, and even create new servers when needed. I am also responsible for the Lab computers and the images that are installed on them. This really means I customize and maintain the operating system environments.
Of course, I assist faculty, staff, and students with any of their IT needs when not working on administrative tasks.
How is IT different in the library than other campus environments?
It is very different in the Library in that we have more flexibility to deliver more up to date and cutting edge technology to the faculty and students of the City Tech community. For example, our Electronic Classroom has Windows 8.1 deployed and to my knowledge, this is not the case anywhere else on campus. Also, we are about to deploy 22 Surface 3 tablets to the Modular Learning Space for student use during class, and 15 MAC mini’s in the Multi-Media Lab which will make it a fully MAC environment.
What were your first impressions of life at City Tech? Were there any surprises?
I guess my biggest surprise was how much the Library is used by the City Tech community. On any given day, the Library is reminiscent of rush hour on Wall Street with students, faculty, and staff bustling to and fro with activity. Sometimes it’s a little hard to hear above the din, but it’s fantastic to see and hear the academic discourse going on all around you as you walk through. It also shows me that I have an active part in the education process at City Tech.
What do you like to do outside of work?
Being that I am an active full-time City Tech student (a senior in the BT Computer Technology Program), I am usually studying, working on homework, training in a new technology, or preparing for one of my many IT certifications. With all that said, I love spending time with my children, family, and friends, going to one of New York’s many museums, or the theatre whenever I have time.
