WiLS June 2016 Member Interview: Sylvia Contreras, Edgewood College Rennebohm Library

One of our greatest joys at WiLS is hearing our members tell the stories of the big and important work they are doing – interesting new projects or initiatives, or even interesting and new approaches to old projects.  And, in addition to hearing about it, it makes us even happier when we can share those stories with other members.   Each month, WiLS is proud to feature an interview with one of our library members.  This month, we interview Sylvia Contreras, Director of Rennebohm Library at Edgewood College and WiLS Board member.

Why did you, personally, choose to work with libraries?

One could say I was born to be a librarian.  One of my earliest memories is answering questions when my mama would get into heated debates with her brothers.  She would say, “Sylvia, tell your uncle what the ‘missing link’ is.”  Thank goodness, volume M was part of my incomplete set of encyclopedias!

I grew up in Compton, California, which has always been in the top ten most dangerous US cities.  In that environment, the library was my sanctuary.  I went there to feel safe.  I read anything I could get my hands on.  I read Poe while in elementary school.

My first year of high school I met a longhaired boy on a motorcycle.  My family took one look at him and decided that I needed a job so they called Mrs. Hopkins, the local librarian.  It was my first job interview and it was not pretty.  Imagine James Dean’s Rebel Without a Cause character being interviewed for a job.

When we walked out of her office La Nina (my mother), La Pinta (my aunt/godmother), and La Santa Maria (my grandmother) stood there with eyes pleading as Mrs. Hopkins said, “I’ve been waiting to get my hands on this little girl.”  The next day I started working as a page and soon realized that I had gained yet another ‘mother’.

She was my idol, my advisor, and my warden.  I gave her a hard time, rolled my eyes excessively, and generally gave her a run for her money.  She let me read whatever I wanted.  I read the Godfather books way before I knew what they represented.  She saved books for me to read, let me pick from the new books to arrive (oh, the smell of a new book), or steered me to classics like Frankenstein and Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men.  When she thought I was ‘reading the shelves’ I was really READING everything on the shelves.

She was very proud of the woman I became and never let me forget how she saved me from the longhaired boy on the motorcycle.

What is unique about the culture of your library? How do you influence it?

We are a team.  Service is at the core of our being.  We believe that our users come first and we treat everyone with respect.  The college has five core values:  truth, compassion, partnership, community, and justice.  Each member of my team lived these values way before our Edgewood careers began and that makes us stronger as we provide service to our community.

I influence the culture of our library by moving out of their way, encouraging, and supporting new ideas or services.  We are not afraid to try new things.  If it fails, it fails.  If it succeeds, then we celebrate.   By the way, we celebrate failures, too.

What do you think is important to know about the patrons or community you work with? What helps you understand those needs?

Edgewood College‘s values are ingrained in every aspect of the campus community including library planning and service.  We work with our community colleagues to develop programming, teach information literacy, and build a vibrant collection that meets our current curricular needs.

Our community is very vocal about their vision of library services and collection building.  We strive to meet the needs of our users by listening, implementing suggests, and building fiscally sustainable services.

What big ideas are being worked on at your library? What problems are being solved?

We are currently reviewing our service models to find solutions to our document delivery needs. We continue to work towards integrating information literacy into the curriculum.  I serve on the campus Space Advisory Committee that is exploring new space partnerships within the library.

Do you have anything else you’d like to share here?

In my heart, libraries are places of sanctuary, knowledge building, and collaboration.  With that in mind, I strive to provide an environment that is conducive to study, relaxation, and reflection.

 

These interviews are part of a series of interviews with both WiLS library and vendor partners.  Your feedback is appreciated.  If you have any to offer on this article, or suggestions for upcoming interviews, contact Andrea Coffin at .