"Ask Us" Library Poll - Thanksgiving Favorites

 

As the Thanksgiving holiday creeps ever closer, many of us are already hard at work in the kitchen preparing the dishes for the holiday feast.  Some dishes may be year-round favorites, others may be dishes that are only made for holidays or other special occasions, and still others may be tried for the very first time ever -- in which case we wish those fixing them for the first time the best of luck getting the recipe 'just right!'

We asked our library family, "what's the one thing you're especially looking forward to enjoying at your Thanksgiving meal this year?"  Here's what they said:

“My mom's Sweet Potato Casserole.”

“Broccoli and cheese casserole.”

“Green bean casserole.”

“Deviled eggs.”

“Sweet potato casserole. The kind with the brown sugar topping and finely chopped pecans.”

“Mama's dressing.”

“Cornbread Dressing.”

“Rather than looking forward, I miss my mother's sauerkraut made with finely diced onions butter sautéed and sliced Hillshire Polska Kielbasa. It had to be Hillshire in her sauerkraut and it was only made for Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

“All the desserts count as one thing, right?”

“All of it!”

“Pumpkin Pie!!! My husband doesn't love it so we didn't have one for our quarantine Thanksgiving.”

“Butternut squash with brown sugar.”

“My mom's chicken casserole.”

What part of the Thanksgiving meal are you most looking forward to enjoying?  We'd love to hear about them!  Let us know via Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram!

"Ask Us" Library Poll - Thanksgiving Traditions

 

The Thanksgiving holidays are upon us, and while things are still not fully back to normal many of us are planning to enjoy the time off with friends and family once again.

We asked our library family, "what's a Thanksgiving tradition that you're really looking forward to this year -- especially if it's one you didn't get to enjoy last year?"  Here's what they said:

“I'm just looking forward to being with family. :)”

“Seeing extended family at the Cracker Barrel in Oxford, Alabama.”

“Playing cards with family.  We are very competitive!”

“Watching the Egg Bowl. Go Ole Miss!”

“Being with family.”

“I enjoy having a chill Thanksgiving, so honestly I'd like to keep celebrating it with just my immediate family.”

“Sitting down with the whole family for a big meal of favorites.”

“Being with My Whole Family.”

“Turkey.”

“Being with friends and family.”

“Cooking some of my Grandmother's recipes since she is no longer with us.”

“Going to my in-law's and watching The Muppet Christmas Carol.”

“Attending an arts event (like the symphony, art exhibit, etc) the day after Thanksgiving.”

“Getting together with the family and enjoying the company.”

Do you have any Thanksgiving traditions you're really looking to this year?  We'd love to hear about them as well!  Let us know via Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram -- and we hope you get to enjoy them all during the holiday weekend!

Meet Us Monday - Meredith Milstead

Of all the resources the Samford University Library makes available to its users, among our most important and valuable are our people! Our #MeetUsMonday series offers a weekly glimpse behind the scenes by spotlighting the various people who work tirelessly every day to proactively support the University's mission by providing scholarly resources, research and information services, a welcoming environment, and collaborative alliances to promote learning and teaching.

Meredith Milstead

Acquisitions Coordinator

BA Music, University of Montevallo

First joined Samford in 2005

• What do you like best about working here in the library? The people! I love my coworkers.  
  
  
• What do you do on your commute to and from Samford? Listen to podcasts.
  
  
• If you didn't work here in the library, what and/or where would you like to be doing? Spending more time with my nieces and nephew; volunteering with Grace Klein/helping others.  
  
  
• What are some of your interests outside of work? Visiting parks/lakes; traveling; playing flute; singing.  
  
  
• What is your favorite book? The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood; By the Light of the Moon by Dean Koontz
  
  
• Who is your favorite author? I don’t really have a favorite, I just read whatever sounds interesting!
  
  
• Do you have any favorite podcasts? Monsters Among Us, The Minimalists Podcast, Hidden Brain, National Park After Dark, Ten Percent Happier, Mighty Marvel Geeks, Stories with Sapphire, Body Stuff (I have a long commute – I listen to a lot of podcasts!)
  
  

Meet Us Monday - Lori Northrup

 

Of all the resources the Samford University Library makes available to its users, among our most important and valuable are our people! Our #MeetUsMonday series offers a weekly glimpse behind the scenes by spotlighting the various people who work tirelessly every day to proactively support the University's mission by providing scholarly resources, research and information services, a welcoming environment, and collaborative alliances to promote learning and teaching.

Lori Northrup

Associate Dean, Samford University Library

Chair, Collection Management

Liaison Librarian for:
Howard College of Arts & Sciences

(Classics, World Languages & Cultures)

McWhorter School of Pharmacy

School of Public Health

(Health Informatics & Information Management, Healthcare Administration, Nutrition & Dietetics)

Masters of Library and Information Studies, University of Alabama
BA English and French, Troy University
Joined Samford in 2002

• What do you like best about working here in the library? I enjoy knowing that the work I do helps others in their pursuit of knowledge. The kind of work I do - teaching, resource selection and evaluation, interlibrary loan, and assessment - all this detail-oriented work also appeals to me personally.
  
  
• What do you do on your commute to and from Samford? I usually listen to music while concentrating on my driving. My commute from Pelham is still rather new to me, and I find the interstate traffic daunting sometimes.
  
  
• If you didn't work here in the library, what and/or where would you like to be doing? I would like to be a professional student, but with no assignments and no grades. I'd love to spend more time reading and learning more about languages while traveling the world.  
  
  
• What are some of your interests outside of work? Reading, travel and all the fun foods that includes, time with my husband Jeff and our kitty Wally, hiking, working out, and sometimes cooking. Not necessarily in that order.  :) 
  
  
• What is your favorite book? Well that is a ridiculous question! But today I would say Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.
  
  
• Who is your favorite author? Charles Dickens. Yes, I know there are issues, but I find him delightful.  
  
  
• Do you have any favorite podcasts? Hidden Brain, Don't Ask Tig, and Fitness and Sushi are some I like.
  
  
• Who is one of your heroes and why? Shelley Douglas, longtime peace activist and now-retired host of Mary's House Catholic Worker here in Birmingham, is one of my heroes. Shelley inspires me to be a better person; I see in her the Christian I'd dare to be if I were that better person. She and her husband Jim are awesome.  
  
  
• What’s the one thing people likely don’t know about you, but should? Warning: I'm a hugger.

Meet Us Monday - Dana Webster

 

Of all the resources the Samford University Library makes available to its users, among our most important and valuable are our people! Our #MeetUsMonday series offers a weekly glimpse behind the scenes by spotlighting the various people who work tirelessly every day to proactively support the University's mission by providing scholarly resources, research and information services, a welcoming environment, and collaborative alliances to promote learning and teaching.

Dana Webster

Circulation Assistant, Reserve Specialist

Masters of Library and Information Studies, University of Alabama

BA Journalism and Mass Communication/Asian Studies, Samford University

Joined Samford as a student in 2002

Joined Samford as an employee in 2006 and again in 2018

• What do you like best about working here in the library? I love being able to help people get what they need.  Whether it's a resource, a study room, or a bathroom, I just want to help fill a need for people.  
  
  
• What do you do on your commute to and from Samford? Listen to podcasts.
  
  
• If you didn't work here in the library, what and/or where would you like to be doing? Hopefully working in another library!  I've always thought it would be fun to work in the Disney archives.  
  
  
• What are some of your interests outside of work? I studied abroad in Japan during college, so I love Japanese language and culture.  I also enjoy making music.  I've played percussion, handbells, and piano for many years, and I sing in my church choir.  I have two kids, so I read a lot of kid lit.  My mother is an elementary school teacher, so I grew up with a deep love of children's literature.  
  
  
• What is your favorite book? Maison Ikkoku by Rumiko Takahashi (it's a series, but it still counts, right?)
  
  
• Who is your favorite author? Mo Willems.  He is a true treasure for children’s picture books, and more people need to know about him!  He is one of the very few authors that I get excited about when he has a new book come out.  It will be a sad day indeed when my kids are too old for Gerald and Piggie or The Pigeon.
  
  
• Do you have any favorite podcasts? How To Do Everything, Stuff You Missed in History Class, 99% Invisible, The Crystal Paine Show, Fuse 8 n' Kate.
  
  
• What app is your favorite discovery? Habitica.  It turns to do lists into a kind of game where you earn points when you check them off.
  
  
• What’s the one thing people likely don’t know about you, but should? I actually love geography.  I know all the countries of the world and at one point also knew all the capitals and flags (although I’m a little rusty now, don’t quiz me!).  I even won my elementary school geography bee twice.  Never underestimate the influence of Carmen Sandiego.

Meet Us Monday - Kim Herndon

 

Of all the resources the Samford University Library makes available to its users, among our most important and valuable are our people! Our new #MeetUsMonday series offers a weekly glimpse behind the scenes by spotlighting the various people who work tirelessly every day to proactively support the University's mission by providing scholarly resources, research and information services, a welcoming environment, and collaborative alliances to promote learning and teaching.

Kimmetha Herndon

Dean, Samford University Library

Masters of Library Science, University of Alabama
BS Agricultural Economics, University of Georgia
Joined Samford in 2008

• What do you like best about working here in the library? Connecting people with the best information resources and searching for the best resources.
  
  
• What do you do on your commute to and from Samford? Listen to podcasts - Hidden Brain, Unlocking Us, Dare to Lead, Radical Candor.
  
  
• If you didn't work here in the library, what and/or where would you like to be doing? Archaeology and/or fiber arts.  
  
  
• What are some of your interests outside of work? Textile and fiber arts of all kinds, hiking, traveling, and reading, of course.
  
  
• What is your favorite book? Like Dr. Taylor, too many to pick from.
  
  
• Who is your favorite author? Too many.  
  
  
• Do you have any favorite podcasts? Unlocking Us, Radical Candor.
  
  
• Who is one of your heroes and why? Brené Brown.  I believe her scholarship and findings are immensely helpful and impactful for everyone to lean into their best whole hearted, authentic selves as individuals and members of a community.  She also loves to learn, is a voracious reader and seeks to understand and break down barriers.  
  
  
• What’s the one thing people likely don’t know about you, but should? I participated in the East West Center Program at the University of Hawaii and had the opportunity to learn about and visit Korea.