At Gleeson Library we’ve recently revamped our Systems department to support resource discovery and library operations. As part of this reconfiguration we hired two new librarians, Brian Schumacher and Anders Lyon. Please join us in welcoming them! I asked Brian and Anders a few questions to help the University community get to know them and the work that they do.
Brian Schumacher – Systems Librarian
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself!
I began working as the Systems Librarian at Gleeson Library in October 2018. Before coming to USF, I was the Systems & Online Resources Librarian at the Academy of Art University here in San Francisco. And before becoming interested in library science and pursuing an MLIS, I completed undergrad degrees in visual arts and art history at the University of Minnesota, and later earned an MA in art history from UC San Diego and advanced to PhD candidacy in the same program.
Outside of work, I have sought out projects that touch upon aspects of my past art history experience and some of the areas of librarianship that I am interested in such as digital archiving and preservation, visual resources, and artists books. I was the Digital Asset Management System intern at SFMOMA, and have been involved with digital archiving projects at Maximum Rocknroll, an internationally distributed music magazine based in San Francisco, and at Artists’ Television Access, a 35 year old film and art space located in the Mission.
2. What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
I have done ceramics at the Sharon Art Studio in Golden Gate park for the last few years. I mostly make functional objects such as cups, plates and bowls.
3. What is your favorite place in the library?
I have two. The first is the newspapers and periodicals area on the second floor. Even though we can now get so much information immediately online, I think having access to all of these national and international newspapers in print is a great resource. The second is the stairwell towards the back of the library, which was part of the original Gleeson building. I am a fan of midcentury institutional architecture and the stairs have great handrails, terrazzo floors, and period appropriate paintings that you pass as you ascend/descend the stairs.
4. What do you do at Gleeson?
I am the Systems Librarian. One of the central aspects of the my position is managing and configuring the integrated library system and making sure it works with other systems that we use in the library. I also troubleshoot access problems, oversee software upgrades, and work to improve discoverability of library resources for our patrons.
5. What is one thing you would like faculty to takeaway?
Much of the work that we do in the Systems Department is behind the scenes, but we are always working to improve the experience for our library faculty and students!
Anders Lyon – User Experience Librarian
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself!
I’m a hoosier transplant. I have a BA in art history from Indiana University Bloomington and a MLIS from San Jose State University. I’ve worked in libraries in various capacities since 2004, starting with my first library job shelving, shifting, and searching for missing books in the research stacks at IU’s Herman B. Wells Library. In 2010, I moved to San Francisco and worked in access services and operations at Academy of Art University Library. I got back to my old stacks roots in 2015 when I joined Gleeson Library as stacks coordinator. I also worked briefly as a systems library assistant before becoming User Experience/Web Design Librarian in October 2018.
It was through my coursework at SJSU and my work experience at USF that I became interested in library technology and systems. My professional interests include information architecture, web design, service design, and critical librarianship.
2. What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
In addition to my work in the systems department, I work closely with fellow librarian Matthew Collins on the Gleeson Zine Library. It’s a small, but growing collection of zines on a variety of topics. There is some emphasis on social justice and critical theory. We host zine workshops and instructional sessions, so please let us know if you would like to bring in your class. And if you make zines yourself, consider donating a copy!
3. What is your favorite place in the library?
My favorite place in the library is where the action is! And where there’s hardly any action at all. I like to see how people are using (and not using) the library websites and physical spaces. This information is crucial to understanding the needs of library users and identifying what improvements can be made to library services. In my new role, I look forward to engaging directly from library users about their experiences.
And I’ll always love the stacks. I’ve spent tons of time in the stacks here at Gleeson and many other libraries. Also a fav: the Gleeson Zine Library.
4. What do you do at Gleeson?
As the User Experience/Web Design Librarian, I am responsible for the library’s various web interfaces. This includes the main library website, resource catalogs, room booking system, etc. I develop strategies for evaluating and assessing our websites, as well as implement methods for improving usability, accessibility, and inclusion.
As a member of the systems departement, I provide general troubleshooting support for library systems. I also support the implementation of new systems (such as our new authentication service, OpenAthens.)
5. What is one thing you would like faculty to takeaway?
If you encounter an error, let us know!
