3 questions with Mohamed Hamed, Middle Eastern and Near Eastern studies librarian
Why do you collect?
To better the world! Participating in collecting, serving, and preserving the global knowledge and passing it to the future knowledge producers is what I live for every day.
What is your favorite recent find here?
Bancroft materials and many other primary resources in the extended collections related to Middle Eastern studies.
What is your favorite part of working here?
Working with great colleagues, serving a great community, and helping in building and making the best use of great collections.
3 questions with Adam Clemons, librarian for African and African American studies
Why do you collect?
To act as a steward and preserver of the collection — and to serve the collection needs of future generations. I know that sounds grandiose, but that’s what it’s all about: preserving information, whether it’s digital or print.
What is your favorite part of working here?
I get genuine satisfaction from helping someone — opening and unlocking the immense world of information and working with students and faculty to navigate that.
What is your fondest collections memory?
I’ve been working with students to locate resources on the Black Panther Party, including The Black Panther newspaper. This is not a book on a shelf; these are primary sources.
3 questions with Gisèle Tanasse, film and media services librarian
Why do you collect?
To make a wide variety of media works available to current and future researchers, immediately and over time.
What is your fondest collections memory?
We often receive unique donations from faculty filmmakers. It’s a thrill to grab a box of unique and at-risk video, knowing we’ll make that content available to people around the world.
What is your favorite recent find here?
We were emailed by a woman whose late husband was featured in the Minority Writers Series. She was surprised to learn we have a video of him. There wasn’t a dry eye in the office that day.