LibraryLinks Spring 2005

Meet Susan Currie, New Associate Director for Public Services

By Caryl Ward

Susan Currie joined the Libraries in January 2005 as Associate Director for Public Services. The Associate Director provides administrative oversight for Public Services in the areas of circulation and reserve services, collection development and management, interlibrary loan and document delivery, information literacy, reference and electronic services, library systems and the Library Annex at Conklin.

I recently spoke with Susan about her background, professional interests and plans for the coming months.

CW: You came to us after more than 20 years at Cornell University Libraries. Where are you from originally, and where did you go to school?

Susan: My hometown is Jackson, Mississippi. I received a B.A. in English from Belhaven College and completed 30 hours toward my MA in English Literature from The University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi. I received my Masters of Library Science from SUNY Buffalo.

CW: What are your professional interests?

Susan: In particular, I find the possibility of developing and implementing a new and improved public services program in the Binghamton University Libraries exciting and intriguing. I am interested in applications of new technologies in Libraries: blending print services with electronic resources, offering outreach to teaching faculty.

CW: Can you give some specific examples for our faculty?

Susan: A good example is work that is being done by a Library task force investigating the possibilities of using Blackboard. The Libraries can help faculty use Blackboard to offer a suite of services for customized course instruction. We can help with required readings listings, links to electronic reserves and other electronic resources the Libraries subscribe to, like e-journals and e-books.

CW: What are you working on now?

Susan: During my first semester here, I am learning about the Libraries and the University. We [the Public Services Council] are reviewing all current public services policies and procedures, including hours, loan policies, and outreach services such as Information Literacy. In the short term, we are looking at how we can improve some of our traditional, basic services. For example, we are considering combining Reserves and Circulation for “one stop shopping.” We are also investigating the possibility of having 24 hour service Sundays – Thursdays.

CW: What are your short-term goals for the upcoming year?

Susan: I’d like to begin offering electronic desktop delivery. For example, if someone would like an article from a journal that is in the Library Annex at Conklin, we would scan the article and deliver it electronically to the requestor.

CW: What are your impressions of Binghamton University and its Libraries?

Susan: These are exciting times for libraries and the Binghamton University Libraries are poised to make great changes. I have been impressed with the librarians, the public services staff, and what they are doing with technology. I have been and continue to be impressed with the vision and direction set by John Meador, the Library Director, as well as the renowned academics of Binghamton University.

CW: Would you like to share some personal information about yourself? What are your interests?

Susan: I’m a transplanted Southerner who loves snow! I like to snowshoe, and read (of course.) I am an avid gardener also. And I am a people person—I really like Public Services. I enjoy meeting faculty and students, hearing about their research and work, getting their feedback about the library and how we can improve services. I really want people to visit me to tell me how we’re doing!

CW: Any other comments?

Susan: We want the Binghamton University Libraries to be the place to be on campus for collaboration, research and study. We want to make using Binghamton’s Libraries easy, transparent, and, yes, fun.