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.

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. 

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.

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.

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! 

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.