Susan von Daum Tholl
Library Director
What is your most memorable travel experience?
I lived in Germany and Austria for about three years when researching and writing my dissertation in art history, but I think spending Christmas day in Bethlehem during a three-week visit to friends in Israel might be the most memorable.
What is your educational background?
BA in English, MA in medieval Art History, MPhil and PhD in early medieval manuscripts. After teaching full-time, I went to library school for an MSLIS.
If you could go back and change your field of study in school, what would you change it to?
I wouldn’t change what I’ve done, but I’m still tempted to go to law school.
If you were not a librarian, what else would you want to be?
Since, I’m also an art historian, maybe my third career would be as a rare book or antiques dealer.
What attracted you to Emmanuel as a place to work and how long have you been here?
Emmanuel is a special place, committed to its mission. I’ve been here since February 1997 and continue to feel more and more in tune with the environment.
What authors or types of books are your favorites? Why?
Anything that is very well-written, for instance, Haruki Murakami’s After Dark and Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett—very different, but both are excellent writers. I’ve just finished Thomas Friedman’s That Used to be Us, which gives one pause about America’s ability to meet the demands of globalization.
Cathy Tuohy
Assistant Director for Technology and Technical Services
What is your most memorable travel experience?
Traveling up the East Coast with family while my father did research for his Ph.D.
What is your educational background?
Bachelor of Arts, Loyola U. New Orleans, 1986, Liberal Arts with focus in English;
Masters of Science, Library Science, 1988 Simmons College, Boston.
If you could go back and change your field of study in school, what would you change it to?
Linguistics.
What attracted you to Emmanuel as a place to work?
I wanted my children to have that connection and to have more time with them, which the corporate environment had not offered. I hope they both begin their college careers here in 2012 and 2015.
What has been the most memorable moment while working in the Emmanuel College Library?
Watching our seniors graduate.
If you were not a librarian, what else would you want to be?
I would be a linguist.
What authors or types of books are your favorites? Why?
My favorite authors are Mark Twain, Harper Lee, Sue Monk Kidd, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Flannery O’Connor, J.K. Rowling and Sylvia Plath. I like books that tell a story and involve me in the surroundings in such a way as to make me forget I am not the author or narrator. I love stories of the South and of New England.
Diane Zydlewski
Head of Reference
What is your educational background?
MSLIS from Simmons College
What are your favorite pastimes?
My favorite pastimes include following the local teams, running, and painting.
What is your favorite part of your job?
I enjoy working with the students during library information sessions and one-on-one at the reference desk and spending all day learning new pieces of information.
Anne Hancock
Collection Development Librarian
What is your most memorable travel experience?
I once spent a week in Florence with my husband. We traveled in January and practically had Florence to ourselves. The weather was sunny and mild and we were able to take our time everywhere we went. We sat up on the Duomo for a half-hour reading about it.
What is your educational background?
I graduated from The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia with a Concentration in Anthropology and Minor in Art History. I have an MA from UMass Boston in History/Historical Archaeology. My Archaeological research focused on seventeenth-century colonial settlement in North America and the interaction of the English and Dutch spheres in the New World. I have an MSLIS from Simmons College as well.
If you could go back and change your field of study in school, what would you change it to and why
I wouldn’t change my field of study, but I might add some studio art classes to the mix.
What attracted you to Emmanuel as a place to work and how long have you been here?
I like the idea that Emmanuel is a smaller Liberal Arts College in the Boston area. Emmanuel’s size allows it to be a tight-knit community that is welcoming, friendly and supportive. I have been at Emmanuel since May 2007.
If you were not a librarian, what else would you want to be?
Indiana Jones of course!
What authors or types of books are your favorites? Why?
I have a weakness for good historical fiction, classic English novels, and P.D. James mysteries. For me, picking a single favorite author or book is impossible.
Jennifer Woodall
Cataloger/Distribution Librarian
What is your most memorable travel experience?
Hands down, I would have to say my honeymoon to Ireland in September 2008. It was an enchanting experience filled with adventure, beauty, conversation, and most importantly food! I will always cherish the wonderful memories of that trip!
What is your educational background?
I have a BA in both History and Literature from New England College, a Master’s Certificate in Museum Studies from Tufts University, and a MSLIS in Library and Information Sciences from Simmons College.
What attracted you to Emmanuel as a place to work and how long have you been here?
I have been employed at Emmanuel since 2002. I think what has been the most appealing aspect to the college, has been the supportive community and the wonderful people I have the privilege to work with each day.
If you were not a librarian, what else would you want to be?
A rock star!
What authors or types of books are your favorites? Why?
Historical fictions, mythologies, folklore, and fantasy stories. I’ve always had a strong interest in these realms – perhaps that is the reason why I chose my fields of study?
John Healey
Archives Librarian
What is your most memorable travel experience?
My most memorable travel experience is a trip to Ireland’s southwest coastline in 2005 with my family. It was my first trip to another continent!
What is your educational background?
I have a BA in History from Wheaton College, an MA in History from Providence College, and an MS in Library Information and Technology with a concentration in Archival Studies from Simmons College.
If you could go back and change your field of study in school, what would you change it to and why?
If I were to change my field of study it would probably be in sociology or political science to gain a greater understanding of how a society interacts and develops.
What has been the most memorable moment while working in the Emmanuel College Library?
My most memorable experience at the College is organizing the archives.
If you were not a librarian, what else would you want to be?
A photographer.
What attracted you to Emmanuel as a place to work?
The small community that has developed that makes it easier for people to interact with each other.
What authors or types of books are your favorites? Why?
My favorite types of books are those about history, contemporary society, and crime-dramas. It allows me to know more about human society and the crime-dramas provide a diversion from my work.
Jennifer Grimmett
Administrative Assistant/Media Equipment Coordinator
What is your most memorable travel experience?
Vegas! My friends were married in Vegas several years ago, and we all had such a great experience!
What is your educational background? I completed my BA in May 2011 through UMass Amherst for Team Training and Development. Prior concentrations include: Early Childhood Education, Psychology, and Theater Studies.
If you could go back and change your field of study in school, what would you change it to and why?
I would not trade my diverse experiences for anything different! My interests continue to be unique, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
What has been the most memorable moment while working in the Emmanuel College Library?
SO MANY. If I had to pick one TYPE of memorable moment, it would be the series of notes that I frequently find on my desk from my student workers saying, “hi” or “miss you”. The students make coming to work a daily adventure!
What attracted you to Emmanuel as a place to work and how long have you been here?
I was impressed with Emmanuel College’s mission for social justice and vision for a united student body. I have been with Emmanuel since October 2006.
What authors or types of books are your favorites? Why?
Currently, I cannot get enough of vampire fiction! I enjoy reading classic works, but I find myself drawn to lighter works of fiction as a frivolous escape!
Cynthia Brennan
Library Assistant for Special Projects
What is your most memorable travel experience?
I have to pick two! Last summer, I took a course studying libraries in China, during which the class visited libraries of all sorts, including academic, in Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou. On the way back home, I had a layover in the desert city of Dubai for 24 hours, plenty of time to ascend the world’s tallest building. Also, two years ago, I took my bike to Japan for an amazing journey ultimately covering 900 kilometers of Japan’s rugged coast and tremendous mountains, carrying all we needed with us and camping along the way. This trip was an amazing opportunity to practice my limited Japanese, visit remote villages, and, of course, to enjoy plenty of Japanese food!
What is your educational background?
I spent my undergraduate years at the University of Connecticut, where I completed an individualized major called Art and Society, a convergence of my interests in photography, art history, literature, and sociology. I have continued taking courses here and there, dabbling in Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese history and art history, and computer programming. I am now completing a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science from Simmons College.
If you could go back and change your field of study in school, what would you change it to and why?
I would have spent more time learning a second language. Languages provide a chance to really learn about another culture, to travel and fully experience new things – all very important for anyone who, like me, is curious about the world!
What has been the most memorable moment while working in the Emmanuel College Library?
I haven’t been here very long, but I’ve really enjoyed helping students’ research paper topics. Chatting with the students is fun, and it’s great to learn more about their topics with them.
If you were not a librarian, what else would you want to be?
A computer programmer, or a professional cyclist, though one is more attainable than the other.
What attracted you to Emmanuel as a place to work?
I’ve been here since September 2011. The library seems like an energetic, dynamic place to work. The archives are being organized and digital resources being developed, so we are actively creating a repository of Emmanuel’s history. Also appealing is that education is very much placed in the fore of the library’s mission. The library’s staff is made up of friendly, resourceful people who are eager to assist Emmanuel’s population in its pursuit of knowledge. These things establish a wonderful atmosphere to work in here in the Cardinal Cushing Library.
What authors or types of books are your favorites? Why?
I enjoy Modernist writing: James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, and others who began exploring the power of writing to render individual perception by fragmenting narratives. Right now, though, most of my reading is about libraries!
Go library staff! w00t w00t!
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Thanks you guys! We couldn’t do it without you!!!
You guys rock!