Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Our NEW Digital Archive... is LIVE!


The library is proud to announce our NEW digital archive, powered by Quartex!

 Accessibility at the heart of new Quartex digital archive, documenting Samford University’s place in Alabama history

Marlborough, UK – December 2022. Historically significant collections documenting the history of Samford University and religious life in Alabama are among those featured in Samford University Harwell Goodwin Davis Library’s new digital archive, the Samford University Digital Collections.

Alongside collections containing hundreds of photographs of Alabama churches and religious life, the digital archive also includes the William E. Hull Sermons Collection, which is comprised of over 500 sermons, notes and presentations by Hull, a world-renowned theologian and former provost, university professor and research professor at Samford University.

Jennifer Taylor, chair of Samford’s Special Collection & University Archives, said, “Serving the university’s faculty, students and alumni, genealogists and researchers of Baptist and Alabama history, the Samford University Digital Collections will make these materials more accessible and easy to use for people across the world.”

The new digital archive, which provides free access to users around the world, launched this month using the AM Quartex digital collections platform and also documents the history of campus life at Samford University, including the full run of the Samford Crimson (the university’s student-run newspaper, first published in 1915) and a growing collection of oral histories featuring faculty, alumni and voices from Alabama’s religious community.

The project is the result of over two years of planning, after a review in 2020 concluded that the library’s existing digital asset management platform was no longer capable of delivering the team’s vision for its digital collections.

Kim Herndon, dean of the Samford University Library, said, “We are very excited to present such a dynamic, user friendly and well-designed website for users to research Samford University and the religious history of Alabama. Having learned about Quartex through other institutions with Baptist archival materials, it immediately seemed a more robust and flexible solution; features such as digital exhibits give us more scope for how we present our collections and efficient workflows are already streamlining the way we work.”

The ability to generate transcriptions in-platform for all digitized assets heavily influenced the library’s decision to adopt Quartex.

“All of our oral history collections have been transcribed in-platform and the impact in terms of efficiency is huge. It’s also an important point of accessibility; having the time-coded transcript on screen alongside the asset is incredible,” said Burns Kennedy, user services archivist at the Samford Library.

Martin Drewe, Head of Customer Experience at AM, said, “With the launch of this new digital collections website, Samford University’s holdings of material relating to Baptist life in Alabama are now more easily accessible than ever before. The library team is already working to make new collections available, including more oral histories and church records that are in desperate need of preservation and digitization. We look forward to supporting them in making these important materials more accessible.”


Tuesday, June 28, 2022

University Library front entrance is closed due to ongoing roof work

Please be aware that our front entrance is closed due to ongoing roof work. Our Einstein Bros. patio door will need to be used for entering or exiting the building.

Monday, April 25, 2022

Meet Us Monday - Lauren Young

 


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.


Lauren M. Young
Library Instruction Coordinator
Reference Librarian

Liaison Librarian for:
Moffett and Sanders School of Nursing
School of Health Professions
(Physician Assistant Studies)

Master of Information and Library Science, University of Southern Mississippi
MA English, University of Mississippi
BA English, University of Mississippi

Joined Samford in 2015

  • What do you like best about working here in the library? The space is beautiful and my colleagues are wonderful, but the very best thing is helping students grow in confidence in their research skills. Each day brings new students to my office with unique research topics that I get to spend a little time with. It's so fun to see what interests students and to learn along with them.

  • What do you do on your commute to and from Samford? I often opt take my first grade son to school in the mornings rather than send him by school bus. It adds extra time to my commute, but chatting with him one-on-one is special time well spent. Once I drop him off, I flip between the talk radio presets on my FM radio dial, learning about the day's news topics from a variety of perspectives. So many of the tidbits I hear end up being leads for research questions students have.

  • What are some of your interests outside of work? I love to work with plants and have indoor and outdoor favorites. I spend a lot of time with my family - my husband and our daughter (12yo) and son (7yo). We play board games, work puzzles, build with Legos, ride bikes, and love to host get-togethers with friends. We are active in our church, Shades Mountain Baptist, and I enjoy volunteering at the kids' schools. We like to visit Oxford, Miss., home to our alma mater, Ole Miss. Hotty Toddy!

  • What is your favorite book? So many books are warmly familiar; it would be tempting to choose one of those. On the other hand, there are so many new stories to get lost in and to learn from. And who can resist the charm of a beautifully illustrated children's book shared with your children? Nothing, though, comes close to the Bible. As Christians, we are to live on mission for God. He shows us how through His word. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

  • Who is one of your heroes and why? My father was an officer in the Army Medical Corps, retiring at the rank of colonel. We moved every two years of my childhood. My mother, a teacher, devoted her teaching abilities to her children and nurtured us through all of the transitions. Our home was warm and happy and transcended location. My mother- and father-in-law faithfully raised a son who would become a wonderful husband and father to our family. These individuals modeled putting God and family first. They served our country selflessly, continuing family legacies of patriotism and sacrifice. They continue to actively pour into their children and grandchildren. For that and more, they are all my heroes.

  • What’s the one thing people likely don’t know about you, but should? My father's work with tropical diseases led our family around the globe. I was born in Brazil and lived in Kenya as a teenager, and we lived in several regions in the US. Experiencing different cultures at a young age was formative for me, instilling both a heart for other countries and a profound sense of gratitude for my own. I cannot overstate the benefit of traveling and experiencing the world (safely!) for young people.

Monday, April 11, 2022

Meet Us Monday - Carla Waddell

 


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.


Carla T. Waddell
Chair, Reference & Research Service
Government Documents Librarian

Liaison Librarian for:
Brock School of Business
Howard College of Arts and Sciences
(Biological & Environmental Sciences)

Master of Library and Information Studies, University of Alabama
BA  Intercultural-International Studies, University of Montevallo

Joined Samford in 2000

  • What do you like best about working here in the library? Our community! How we nurture and support our students and each other.

  • What do you do on your commute to and from Samford? I listen to the radio and podcasts.

  • If you didn't work here in the library, what and/or where would you like to be doing? I would love to work for the U.S. Department of State. 

  • What are some of your interests outside of work? Running, cycling, and camping.  

  • Do you have any favorite podcasts? Too many to list!

  • What app is your favorite discovery? Calm app because the sleep stories are fantastic!

  • What’s the one thing people likely don’t know about you, but should? I do not like mushrooms.

Monday, April 4, 2022

10th Annual BIG GIVE -- "For the Love of Samford's Story!"

 


April 5-6

The 10th annual Big Give event starts tomorrow! During his inauguration, Samford University President Dr. Beck Taylor set renewed intentions for the University with Ephesians 3:16-19 ‘rooted and grounded in love.’ He asks that we make such love the foundation of any vision we might cast together, for love to be the cornerstone of all we do at Samford.  During the Big Give, the library will be asking for your support with “For the Love of Samford’s Story!”



The Samford University Archives houses over a thousand audio tapes, many on open reel formats. With time, these types of tapes break down. Each day, they degrade more. 

The voices on these tapes offer unique opportunities to hear the words of Samford leaders, theologians, activists, politicians and even astronauts as they relate to topics such as community, race, religion, historical events, and education.  These are voices from the past that together tell the Samford story. 

Currently these recordings are not easily accessible nor well documented. With your help, these recordings can be digitized and made publicly available.  

Each tape costs approximately $125 to have the content professionally restored and migrated from the unstable magnetic tape to a digital format. With each tape funded by your donation to the Big Give, a voice from Samford’s past, from Samford’s story, will be saved and heard again.

Please consider making your gift online via the Big Give website and helping us reach our goal to make these snippets of the Samford story available to this and future generations. While we’re passionate about the library’s project in particular, you can direct your gift to any area of campus most meaningful to you.



Meet Us Monday - Jordan Shoop


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.


Jordan Shoop
Circulation Assistant, Night Supervisor

BA English, Samford University
Joined Samford as a student in 2017
Joined Samford as an employee in 2021

  • What do you like best about working here in the library? I worked in the library as an undergrad, so it feels like home to come back.  Also BOOKS... who would not be happy working while being surrounded by these lovely things?  

  • What do you do on your commute to and from Samford? Listen to my energy booster playlists, in hopes they will provide some type of caffeine if music could do that.

  • What are some of your interests outside of work? I usually spend my time working out, caffeinated in a coffee shop, or collecting vinyl records.  

  • What is your favorite book? Um books... who can have just one? A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, Orlando by Virginia Woolf, and On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

  • Who is your favorite author? Virginia Woolf, Adrienne Rich, Ocean Vuong, Audre Lorde, Margaret Atwood

  • Do you have any favorite podcasts? Sadly no, I’m not big into podcasts. Any recommendations?

  • Who is one of your heroes and why? I would say my grandmother who is the most caring, kind, and funny soul ever. But also, I am inspired by everyone.

  • What app is your favorite discovery? Honestly the Taco Bell app. You can order a $5 cravings box with so many options that is only available in the app... just fyi.

  • What’s the one thing people likely don’t know about you, but should? I am a published poet and essayist.

Monday, March 28, 2022

Meet Us Monday - Jennifer Taylor

 


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.


Jennifer Taylor
Chair, Special Collection

Liaison Librarian for:
Howard College of Arts and Sciences
(History)

Master of Library and Information Science, University of Southern Mississippi
BA English, Mississippi State University

Joined Samford in 1999

  • What do you like best about working here in the library? The community of people. There may be other places with people as great as those here at Samford but there are none better.

    I also love the wow factor. That’s when archivists put a piece of history in someone’s hands and you can see them make a connection with the past that is different from learning about history online or in books. 

  • What do you do on your commute to and from Samford? I listen to NPR and if I'm not doing that, I'm listening to a friend's message on Marco Polo.

  • If you didn't work here in the library, what and/or where would you like to be doing? Before library school, I made a serious effort to become a clown with Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. I got a call from them with interest. But looking back, I'm so glad that didn't work out because I love libraries and Samford is such a great place to be. 

  • What are some of your interests outside of work? Musical Theater. I'm a Broadway Nerd to the core! I can talk theater and NYC any day, all day.  

  • What is your favorite book? In fiction, Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. That’s the book that made me a reader.  In non-fiction, Telling the Truth: the Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale by Frederick Buechner.  In biography, Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven by James Bryan Smith.

  • Who is your favorite author? Of course, the Samford authors are my favorite. We have got brilliant folks here on campus.  I am always amazed by what others on this campus are doing.  But outside of that, it's my friend, Ash Parsons.

  • Do you have any favorite podcasts? On the Doc. Those ladies are so funny! One Thousand Words by Matthew Clark. This American Life.  I also love all The Rabbit Room podcasts. They have so many good ones.

  • Who is one of your heroes and why? Gary Haugen - He saw people in need of help. He recognized the love of God for each person and he started IJM to help them.

    Personally, of course, my parents are my heroes. As I get older, I recognize more and more the sacrifices they made for me and how they loved me so well.

  • What app is your favorite discovery? PhotoScan - The lighting in Special Collection is terrible for taking pictures. This app allows you to get pictures without a glare.

  • What’s the one thing people likely don’t know about you, but should? I am passionate in my despise of mayonnaise -- shout it from the rooftops!

Monday, March 21, 2022

Meet Us Monday - Tabitha Catlin



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.


Tabitha S. Catlin
Microfilm Lab Manager

BS Sociology, Samford University
Joined Samford as a student in 1986
First joined Samford as an employee in 1990

  • What do you like best about working here in the library? I absolutely love the Christian environment and the feeling of family with my co-workers!  

  • What do you do on your commute to and from Samford? Honestly it's a combination of praying, listening to music on SiriusXM, or talking on my cell phone via my car.

  • If you didn't work here in the library, what and/or where would you like to be doing? Spending an extraordinary amount of my time with my grandchildren and I would like to travel to visit my family.  

  • What are some of your interests outside of work? Watching a lot of mystery shows with my husband, spending time with my grandchildren and loving on my fur babies!  

  • What is your favorite book? Charlotte's Web is one of my favorite books. It's a story that no matter what your age the message of love, friendship and sacrifice is timeless!

  • Who is your favorite author? C. S. Lewis.

  • Who is one of your heroes and why? My hero is my mother. She lived a selfless life in order to provide for and raise her 5 children and most importantly she taught us about Jesus Christ, our Savior. She had fearless faith, and was a prayer warrior. She gave her love unconditionally and no matter how hard life was for her she never became bitter. My mother loved life, loved to laugh and loved music. She lived her life by example in being a Christian and was true overcomer!

  • What’s the one thing people likely don’t know about you, but should? I honestly enjoy doing the "Simple Things" in life. Spending time at home in a swing, cooking for my family, watching TV with my husband, loving on my fur babies and babysitting my grandchildren. It's these simple things that bring to my life some of my greatest joys!.

Monday, March 7, 2022

Meet Us Monday - Jaro Szurek

 


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.


Jaroslaw Szurek
Chair, Cataloging
Cataloging & Metadata Librarian
Music Librarian

Liaison Librarian for:
School of the Arts

MS Information Science, State University of New York at Albany
MA Musicology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland

Joined Samford in 2003

  • What do you like best about working here in the library? The collegiality.

  • What do you do on your commute to and from Samford? Listen to music.

  • If you didn't work here in the library, what and/or where would you like to be doing? Traveling around the world, especially visiting some places that are off the beaten path. 

  • What are some of your interests outside of work? Travelling, reading, playing the classical guitar.  

  • What is your favorite book? The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky.

  • Who is your favorite author? Dostoevsky, Hermann Hesse.

  • Do you have any favorite podcasts? Ecolinguist on YouTube.

  • Who is one of your heroes and why? Nikola Tesla - a still underrated genius.

  • What app is your favorite discovery? PictureThis - a plant identifier.

  • What’s the one thing people likely don’t know about you, but should? I often go by Jarek (not Jaro) when I talk to many people outside of the library, which is the more common version of my name in Polish.

Monday, February 28, 2022

Meet Us Monday - Burns Kennedy


 

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.


Burns Kennedy
Archivist and User Services Librarian

Liaison Librarian for:
Howard College of Arts and Sciences
(Political Science)

Master of Library and Information Studies, University of Alabama
BS History, University of Alabama

Joined Samford in 2020

  • What do you like best about working here in the library? What I like most about working in Special Collection is the opportunity to serve Samford University and the community in providing access to our rich collection of historical material.

  • What do you do on your commute to and from Samford? Listen to music or the news.

  • If you didn't work here in the library, what and/or where would you like to be doing? Playing my guitar in an over-the-water bungalow somewhere in the French Polynesian Islands, with my family present, of course. 

  • What are some of your interests outside of work? Spending time with my family and friends, mountain biking, playing guitar, seeing live music, and watching football.  

  • What is your favorite book? Rites of Spring: The Great War and the Birth of the Modern Age by Modris Eksteins.

  • Who is your favorite author? Stephen King.

  • Do you have any favorite podcasts? The Bluest Tape and American History Tellers.

  • Who is one of your heroes and why? My mom. For reasons words cannot express.

  • What app is your favorite discovery? Google Photos.


Monday, February 14, 2022

Meet Us Monday - Becky Hyde

 


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.


Becky Hyde
Processing Archivist & Special Collection Librarian

Liaison Librarian for:
Howard College of Arts and Sciences
(Geography and Sociology)

Master of Library and Information Studies, University of Alabama
BA History, University of Mary Washington

Joined Samford in 2016

  • What do you like best about working here in the library? Helping our students with their research! Connecting students with resources makes me do a happy dance.

  • What do you do on your commute to and from Samford? Listen to podcasts or audiobooks. I'm all about stories.

  • If you didn't work here in the library, what and/or where would you like to be doing? Children's Picture Book Author. 

  • What are some of your interests outside of work? Besides spending all my free time with my two dogs I love television, crochet, baking, reading (naturally), and family time.  

  • What is your favorite book? Impossible, but one of my favorite series right now is Morrigan Crow/The Nevermoor Series by Jessica Townsend.

  • Who is your favorite author? Jasper Fforde.

  • Do you have any favorite podcasts? I listen to many but right now my favorites are the history podcast "Your Dead to Me" by BBC Radio 4 and the health and wellness myth-busting podcast "Maintenance Phase" by Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes.

  • Who is one of your heroes and why? My mom, her kindness and empathy are boundless and I hope to be even a fraction of the person she is.

  • What app is your favorite discovery? I am addicted to Instagram, my sister and I send memes back and forth all day.

  • What’s the one thing people likely don’t know about you, but should? I have an enormous makeup collection and strongly believe in the power of glitter. 


Monday, February 7, 2022

Meet Us Monday - Larissa Charny



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.


Larissa Charny
Cataloging Technical Assistant

Masters of Electrical Engineering, Belorussian Technical University
Joined Samford as an instructor in 1997
Joined the library in 2010

  • What do you like best about working here in the library? People!!!!  

  • What do you do on your commute to and from Samford? I drive my Honda Civic.

  • If you didn't work here in the library, what and/or where would you like to be doing? I would try to get a job here in the library.  

  • What are some of your interests outside of work? Reading British mysteries, hiking beautiful woods in Alabama, having quality time with my family and friends.  

  • What is your favorite book? The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

  • Who is your favorite author? M. Bulgakov, A. S. Pushkin, E. Vodolazkin, Katherine Arden, Elly Griffiths, Rick Bragg, and many more.

  • Do you have any favorite podcasts? NPR.

  • Who is one of your heroes and why? My daughters. They are amazing people and they do an amazing job!

  • What’s the one thing people likely don’t know about you, but should? October is my favorite month.

Monday, January 31, 2022

Meet Us Monday - Samuel Douglas


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.


Samuel Douglas
Circulation Assistant, Periodical Specialist

BA Philosophy, Samford University
Joined Samford as a student in 2011
Joined Samford as an employee in 2019

  • What do you like best about working here in the library? I enjoy helping students most of all. Secondly, the community here in the library is always very positive and encouraging. I also spend way too much money at Einstein's Bagels and Coffee.  

  • What do you do on your commute to and from Samford? I get in my car and drive in silence most days to reflect and give myself some down time. Some days I pray, other days I may listen to a song or two.

  • What are some of your interests outside of work? College football (I was born in Macon, GA so I am a diehard Georgia football fan. Just a reminder that we are the defending national champions. Sorry Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, and Florida fans), playing music with some of my pals (I play the drums) and American music history (particularly American folk, blues, and the development of country music) and armchair philosophical discussions about culture and society with my friends!  

  • What is your favorite book? The Moviegoer.

  • Who is your favorite author? Walker Percy.

  • Do you have any favorite podcasts? Uncle Lou on Youtube, The Armchair Historian.

  • Who is one of your heroes and why? Both my Dad and his Dad. They are and were great men of honor and character.
  • What app is your favorite discovery? I like shazam so when I'm listening to 99.9 (old country music station out of Alabaster) on the radio, and I can get a decent reception, I can know who the artist and song is if I don't already know it. Shazam listens to the song and identifies who the artist is and the song that is being played.

  • What’s the one thing people likely don’t know about you, but should? I played drums in a band called Plains (now defunct) All of the music is still on Spotify under “Plainss” (The extra s is not a typo). I currently play in the local Birmingham rock band “Dommel Mosel” -- all of our music is on Spotify. I think that’s about it. Oh, and I’m getting married to my sweetheart of four years Sarah this May at the Cathedral of St. Paul.

Monday, January 24, 2022

Meet Us Monday - Lance Day

 


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.


Lance Day
Reference & Instruction Librarian

Liaison Librarian for:
School of Health Professions
(Communications Sciences & Disorders, Kinesiology, Physical Therapy)

School of Public Health
(Public Health, Social Work)

Master of Library and Information Studies, University of Alabama
Master of Social Work, University of Georgia
Bachelor of Social Work, University of Montevallo

Joined Samford in 2014

  • What do you like best about working here in the library? My favorite thing about working with the library is meeting students, supporting their academic efforts, and witnessing them make progress. I also enjoy working with professors to support their students.

  • What do you do on your commute to and from Samford? My commute is 2.5 miles but takes a while on some days. I listen to music and try to view the time as a nice pause instead of a hassle.

  • If you didn't work here in the library, what and/or where would you like to be doing? I would likely be doing some kind of social work. 

  • What are some of your interests outside of work? I enjoy volunteering with various organizations and most recently volunteered at the Sidewalk Film Festival. I love to travel so always planning my next adventure. I like to bike with my son. Also, a fan of butterfly gardening.  

  • What is your favorite book? Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.

  • Who is your favorite author? Lately I've been loving Wendell Berry. Everyone should read Berry!

  • Do you have any favorite podcasts? I prefer books and music over podcasts. But I do love SmartLess!

  • Who is one of your heroes and why? My mom Judy Wills Day is such an important hero. When I'm parenting my children and recognize that I'm doing so as my mom did, then I feel like I’m doing it right.

  • What app is your favorite discovery? I love using the Sky View app while watching the night sky.

  • What’s the one thing people likely don’t know about you, but should? I’m more interested in what people know about me that I don’t know about myself so get in touch and let me know! 


Monday, January 10, 2022

Meet Us Monday - Julie Jerles


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.


Julie Jerles
Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery Coordinator

BA English, University of Alabama in Huntsville
Joined Samford in 2018

  • What do you like best about working here in the library? The people of course, but I also like the hunt of finding books and articles that we don't have in the library for faculty, staff, and students.

  • What do you do on your commute to and from Samford? I'm a chronic radio station flipper, so much so that I annoy myself sometimes.

  • If you didn't work here in the library, what and/or where would you like to be doing? I would be a modern day homesteader - the kind with internet of course.  

  • What are some of your interests outside of work? Hanging out with my husband and two year old, reading, thrifting, going to bookstores, Target and Starbucks, watching New Girl, Gilmore Girls or The Office.  

  • What is your favorite book? I have too many to name, but Harry Potter will always have a special place in my heart.

  • Who is your favorite author? Again too many to name, but one of my current faves is Sarah J. Maas.

  • Do you have any favorite podcasts? I don't listen to many podcasts, but I guess I would have to say The Minimalists and With Intention.

  • Who is one of your heroes and why? My grandfather John Rutland who was a Civil Rights activist and a preacher in Birmingham.

  • What app is your favorite discovery? Hoopla & Libby for listening to audiobooks and Fetch Rewards where I can scan all my grocery receipts and turn them into gift cards.

Monday, January 3, 2022

Meet Us Monday - Sarah Cooper


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.


Sarah M. Cooper
Reference & Instruction Librarian

Liaison Librarian for:
Howard College of Arts & Sciences
(Communications Studies, English, Journalism & Mass Communication)

Masters of Library and Information Studies, University of Alabama
BA English, Minor in Mass Communications, University of Montevallo
Joined Samford in 2017

  • What do you like best about working here in the library? My coworkers are amazing and I love getting to work with students throughout the research process.

  • What do you do on your commute to and from Samford? I listen to podcasts or music, preferably with the windows down on a nice day.

  • What are some of your interests outside of work? I like hiking, yoga, and watching bad movies. I will also watch just about any documentary and/or read any article on either Bigfoot or the Catacombs in France.  

  • What is your favorite book? The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

  • Who is your favorite author? Right now I'd say it's a tie between P.G. Wodehouse and Jane Austen.

  • Do you have any favorite podcasts? Many. My favorites right now are Scam Goddess, Reading Glasses, and How Did this Get Made, but my list is long :).

  • Who is one of your heroes and why? I have always found Ada Lovelace to be really interesting because she was such an innovative thinker.

  • What app is your favorite discovery? It's a bit of a time waster, but I like the Best Fiends app.