February 28, 2025 • 60 mins
Guest: Alex Brinson, Reference Archivist at the Georgia Tech Library.
First broadcast February 28 2025. Transcript at https://hdl.handle.net/1853/77426
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(00:00):
(00:02):
["WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE"PLAYING]
(SINGING) Welcome to the archive
We got what's arcane
We got everything you want
Honey, we know no names
Where there arepeople who can find
(00:22):
Whatever you might need
If you're on sabbatical,we'll help you out for free
In the archives
Welcome to the archive
Leave your pens home please
You know where you are?
In the archive, baby!
Ha!
(00:43):
[UPBEAT MUSIC]
CHARLIE BENNETT (01:06):
You are listening to WREK Atlanta.
And this is Lost in theStacks, the research library
rock-and-roll radio show.
I'm Charlie Bennettin the jungle,
no, in the studio withFred, Marlee, Cody,
and a guest to benamed in a moment.
Each week on Lost in theStacks, we pick a theme
and then use it to create amix of music and library talk.
(01:27):
Whichever you tune infor, we hope you dig it.
FRED RASCOE (01:30):
And our show today is called "Into the Professional
Groove."
Do you feel like you're in aprofessional groove, Charlie?
CHARLIE BENNETT (01:37):
Well, I mean, groove is in the heart.
And I'm really tryingto avoid vocational awe.
So I guess a professionalgroove would have no heart,
but that would be like a rut.
Fred, I don't know.
What are you asking me?
Is a professional groove a rut?
FRED RASCOE (01:50):
OK, well, I kind of like your description, though.
But yeah, it's differentfrom being in a rut the way
I was thinking about it.
It's recognizing that you're ona path that feels comfortable
moving in the right direction.
CHARLIE BENNETT (02:00):
Then I plead the fifth on this question.
MARLEE GIVENS (02:03):
Well, we all take different paths
to end up in whateverprofessional role we land in.
And we've talked aboutour roundabout paths
on numerous shows.
CHARLIE BENNETT (02:12):
Yeah, we have.
FRED RASCOE (02:13):
So today, we're going
to talk to someone whois both new and not new
to the archival practice.
CHARLIE BENNETT (02:18):
Wait, at the Georgia Tech--
is this an "introduceyourself" show?
MARLEE GIVENS (02:21):
Well, it is with a twist.
CHARLIE BENNETT (02:24):
OK.
MARLEE GIVENS (02:25):
Sorry.
I need to silence myphone in a second.
FRED RASCOE (02:29):
That was the twist.
MARLEE GIVENS (02:30):
That was--
well, OK.
No, there will be another twist.
And we'll talk about ourguest's professional path.
And maybe we'll find outif she feels like she
is in a professional groove.
CHARLIE BENNETT: No ruts allowed. (02:39):
undefined
FRED RASCOE (02:41):
So our songs today are about transitions,
providing access, and findingyourself on the right path.
And to set the groovytone, man, we're
all going to getinto the groove.
This is "Into the Groove-y"a cover of the Madonna song
as recorded by Sonic Youthreleased under the name Ciccone
Youth for whatever reason, righthere on Lost in the Stacks.
CHARLIE BENNETT (03:03):
It's because it's her real name, dude.
(03:25):
["Into the Groove-y"by Sonic Youth]
MARLEE GIVENS (03:27):
That was "Into the Groove-y" by Sonic Youth,
also known as CicconeYouth, for the purposes of--
FRED RASCOE (03:34):
Yeah.
For that one album.
MARLEE GIVENS (03:35):
--that one album.
Yep.
And you're listeningto Lost in the Stacks.
Our show today is called"Into the Professional Groove.
FRED RASCOE (03:43):
And it's an "introduce yourself" show.
CHARLIE BENNETT (03:45):
Right on.
FRED RASCOE (03:46):
So let's meet this person we're being introduced
to for the very first time.
CHARLIE BENNETT (03:51):
Never in the studio before.
FRED RASCOE (03:53):
Alex Brinson, welcome back to the show.
ALEX BRINSON (03:57):
Hi.
Happy to be here.
FRED RASCOE (03:59):
Right.
This is actually the fourth timethat you've been on the show.
We're doing, like, a real-timebiography of your entire career
arc as an archivist.
I don't know ifyou realize that.
It's like that movie withEthan Hawke where they shot it,
and the kid growsup in real time.
CHARLIE BENNETT (04:16):
Boyhood, but it's archivist-hood.
FRED RASCOE (04:18):
Right.
Archivist-hood.
Yeah, that should be the nameof the show, archivist-hood.
Yeah.
That'll be the name of theseries once we're done with it.
CHARLIE BENNETT (04:24):
There you go.
FRED RASCOE (04:25):
Yeah, you didn't know
that we're actually goingto do a whole biography
of your archival career.
Because we started-- your firsttime on the show was, I think,
just within weeksof you coming to--
ALEX BRINSON (04:34):
It was really early on, yeah,
in that first year residency.
CHARLIE BENNETT (04:37):
It felt like a hazing, right?
ALEX BRINSON (04:39):
It did.
I was very scared.
FRED RASCOE (04:41):
And that's when we got
to find out that you workedat the Atlanta Center
for Puppetry Arts, and wewanted to derail the whole show
and talk about that.
ALEX BRINSON (04:49):
Talk about puppets.
FRED RASCOE (04:50):
Right.
And then you workedat public libraries.
You worked at AUC.
And then we had you ontalking about your experiences
in that residency.
And you wrote an article aboutit, about that experience,
and we had you ontalking about that.
So we had you on rightat the beginning,
and then after you'd been herea while and got your feet wet
(05:11):
a little bit, andthen we had you
on talking about when youdecided you were really
going to be in the archivesdepartment as a resident
and diving into an accessibilityproject in archives,
bringing hiddencollections to the fore.
ALEX BRINSON (05:27):
Right.
My capstone project iswhat they called it, right,
on inclusive description.
FRED RASCOE (05:33):
Right.
And now you're nolonger a resident.
You are brand new.
You have a newposition, which is?
ALEX BRINSON (05:43):
I am a reference archivist here at Georgia Tech.
CHARLIE BENNETT (05:45):
I feel like we should give you
a copy of that Dr. Seuss book,Oh, The Places You'll Go.
That's what that soundslike we were leading up to.
So reference archivist--
I kind of knowwhat that is, but I
think I'd like to hearwhat is that job from where
you sit in it?
ALEX BRINSON (06:01):
Right.
So the breakdown is kind of--
FRED RASCOE (06:07):
It's OK.
There's stuff happening in theheadphones that you can't hear.
So go ahead.
Just lay into it.
ALEX BRINSON (06:12):
OK.
So the breakdown is that I stilldo all of the archivist-y things
that you would think.
I still process collections tomake them available to users.
But then the bulk of myjob is helping people
find what we actually have.
So answering thosequestions when they come in.
We use LibAnswershere in the archives.
(06:34):
So when we getquestions through there,
when people come to ourreading desk for archives,
I run that space.
And yeah, I kind oflike to think of it
as it's been a culminationof my time as a librarian,
because I feel like I usethose skills, too, on the desk,
(06:55):
but then also archives becauseI've processed collections.
So I kind of havethat mind of how
things would be described inorder to help people find it.
Because it's not asimmediately obvious to someone
just off the street coming inand looking at finding aids.
CHARLIE BENNETT (07:11):
So you don't have an archivist graduate
degree.
You have a libraryscience degree.
ALEX BRINSON (07:18):
Yes.
I have a library sciencedegree with a concentration
in metadata architecture.
CHARLIE BENNETT (07:24):
OK.
I mean, yeah, itapplies certainly.
I'm not trying to call you out.
ALEX BRINSON (07:28):
No.
CHARLIE BENNETT: You ended up coming (07:28):
undefined
as a librarian to learn allabout academic libraries.
You found archives, worked init, and now you're an archivist.
ALEX BRINSON (07:38):
Right.
So my degree isn'tnecessarily in archives,
but I've always been kind ofarchives-adjacent like Center
for Puppetry Arts was kind of--well, that was more museum.
And then when Iworked at the AUC,
I was doing digitizationwork, so I was working
with archival materials there.
My only trulynon-archives job has been
when I was in public libraries.
(07:59):
So yeah.
CHARLIE BENNETT (08:00):
It's sort of a shadow purpose
of Lost in the Stacks toexplode the idea that you
got to get exactly theright degree to do some job.
ALEX BRINSON (08:07):
Right.
FRED RASCOE (08:08):
Right.
Yeah we're trying toopen librarianship--
and by "we", I mean theprofession of librarianship.
We're trying to open it--
open doors to more people.
CHARLIE BENNETT (08:20):
Yeah.
So was there a big transition?
Were you kind ofalready doing the job
and then gettingit made it formal?
Or did anything get added toyour duties that was, oh, wow.
Now I'm really in it.
ALEX BRINSON (08:33):
So it's definitely--
it was a transition of runningday-to-day things in our reading
room was probablythe biggest shift.
I was processing materialsin the residency,
so that wasn't much of a shift.
But designing a schedulefor the people on the desk
and making sure the temperaturedoesn't spike in the room
(08:55):
and making sure things-- wehave an off-site location
for our materials,so making sure
that stuff is getting back andforth without disappearing.
It's been the day-to-day stuffthat is added on to my job.
And then so the main shifthas been that, as a resident,
my focus was career development.
And my job was to seekout those opportunities,
(09:16):
write, present, do all ofeverything I could to develop
my knowledge in archives.
And now it's theday-to-day stuff.
So that has been atransition for sure.
CHARLIE BENNETT: Off air, you'll have (09:29):
undefined
to tell us how to keep thetemperature from spiking.
Everybody wouldlike to know that.
ALEX BRINSON (09:34):
It's mostly just communicating
with the building team.
Help.
It's hot in here.
CHARLIE BENNETT (09:38):
We can do that.
Yeah.
This is Lost in the Stacks.
We'll be back with more fromAlex Brinson after a music set.
MARLEE GIVENS (09:44):
And you can file this set under HF5381.M3964.
[A PROJECTION, "TRANSITION"]No more staying out late
No more singingon the dance floor
FRED RASCOE (10:08):
That was "Transition" by A Projection.
And before that, "ItChanges" by Amber Arcades.
Those were songs aboutmaintaining a groove
through a transition.
And do you want tohear a bump, Charlie?
CHARLIE BENNETT: I'd love a bump. (10:24):
undefined
FRED RASCOE (10:25):
OK.
Can you give me just a second?
CHARLIE BENNETT: Yeah, of course I can. (10:27):
undefined
FRED RASCOE (10:29):
OK.
CHARLIE BENNETT (10:29):
We can also dispense with it if you want.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
FRED RASCOE (10:31):
There it is.
No, I really wanted to play it.
And there it is.
So now we're done.
CHARLIE BENNETT: Should we cop to it? (10:36):
undefined
Once again, the Air Studioscomputer is on the fritz.
And so we're hangingon for dear life.
FRED RASCOE (10:42):
Right.
That's accurate.
CHARLIE BENNETT (10:44):
Cool.
MARLEE GIVENS (10:45):
This is Lost in the Stacks.
Today's show is called "Intothe Professional Groove."
In the last segment, we talkedabout how you, Alex Brinson,
got into your new position.
So let's talk about what youare doing in that position now,
reference archivist.
Let's start with reference.
What's the reference part like?
ALEX BRINSON (11:04):
Yeah.
So I get--
I would say the mostcommon thing people
ask about are theirfamily members.
Did they go to Tech?
What was their time like here?
Can I get photographs?
When did they graduate?
Things like that.
CHARLIE BENNETT (11:20):
And this is not other Tech people.
This is the familiesof Tech people
who are not Tech students?
ALEX BRINSON (11:25):
Sometimes they did go to Tech,
but yeah, I've had as far backas, oh, they graduated in 1902.
Can I see their transcripts?
Which isn't usuallysomething we would have.
That's something else.
But helping themfind information
on their family member.
That's usually the biggestthings I encounter.
(11:47):
One of the interesting onesI've been working on right now,
the family member islooking into their I
don't know how manytimes back grandfather,
but he graduated in1902, like I said.
And he supposedly came and gothis bachelor's degree in one
(12:09):
year.
He zoomed through.
FRED RASCOE (12:12):
Things were different in 1902.
ALEX BRINSON (12:14):
Yes.
And then went to Cornell.
But supposedly,he had a building
dedicated to him at some point.
I haven't been able tofind that information.
CHARLIE BENNETT (12:24):
This is some George P. Burdell stuff.
ALEX BRINSON (12:25):
Yeah.
Yeah.
We did find, though,evidence that he did
have really greatgrades, graduated
really early through LymanHall's correspondence.
Shoutout Katie Gentilello.
She helped me find that.
But yeah, it's likea little mystery
every time someoneasks a question that's
(12:47):
out of the blue like that.
And then I get to digaround and find stuff.
FRED RASCOE (12:50):
And you have to through family lore.
Because I can imagine that couldbe a story that's passed down,
like, oh, yeah, I had abuilding dedicated to me.
The truth is, I attended.
I got a degree.
And then it kind of getsembellished through the years.
CHARLIE BENNETT (13:03):
My name was up on the wall.
ALEX BRINSON (13:05):
Right, right.
It's like, whatbuilding, though?
So yeah.
Yeah.
CHARLIE BENNETT (13:10):
Do those usually feel satisfying to you?
Whenever I get a bibliographiccertification question,
as a librarian, Iget really into it.
And if I can finishit, it's a real high.
But sometimes, it's a dead end.
It's just like, I don'thave the article for you.
I don't know how toget you this citation.
And--
ALEX BRINSON (13:29):
Yeah.
CHARLIE BENNETT (13:30):
--it kills me.
ALEX BRINSON (13:30):
That's always kind of a letdown.
I think about how, when I wasan adult services librarian,
people would ask for things.
And they wouldn't even be asinvested in the answer as I was.
And they would be like, oh, ifyou can't find it, no big deal.
And they walk off.
I'm still looking forthe answer hours later.
(13:50):
Because now you'vebrought me into it.
So--
CHARLIE BENNETT (13:53):
You want to tell them.
ALEX BRINSON (13:54):
That's kind of how it is.
CHARLIE BENNETT (13:55):
You set me in motion here.
ALEX BRINSON (13:56):
Exactly.
CHARLIE BENNETT (13:56):
You asked me a question,
and I need to find the answer.
ALEX BRINSON (13:59):
Exactly.
So they could be long gone.
But I'm still looking,trying to figure it out.
And it's similarin this job, too.
FRED RASCOE (14:05):
You want that endorphin
hit, that I found the thing.
ALEX BRINSON (14:09):
Yeah.
It could be days later.
And I'm like, oh, mygosh, I finally found it.
So yeah, it feels good whenyou find the answer for folks.
CHARLIE BENNETT: You also mentioned (14:17):
undefined
schedules, some realnitty-gritty kind of stuff.
You're running thereading room now.
ALEX BRINSON (14:25):
Yeah.
So I manage thatspace, which involves--
so everyone in the archivesdepartment, for the most part,
works on the desk for anhour or two each week.
So kind of giving everyone--working around everyone's
schedule is the fun part.
And then people haveconflicting meetings
or have to be out of townand then kind of negotiating
(14:47):
who will cover.
So that's been a large part ofthis job as well, managing that.
And then probably themost stressful thing
is not wanting to lose thingswhen things go missing because--
CHARLIE BENNETT (15:01):
Wait.
Whoa.
What?
ALEX BRINSON: Missing sounds bad. (15:04):
undefined
CHARLIE BENNETT (15:05):
Yeah.
ALEX BRINSON (15:06):
But I mean, we know
that archival materials are--
they're not-- you'renot coming by them.
You can't justreplace them easily.
So it's a little bitmore stressful when
it's like, where's this box?
No one's seen it in a few years.
Because when I was a librarian,books went missing all the time.
And you'd put it in missing.
(15:28):
And then put it in lost.
And then it's like, oh,we'll just buy another one.
When things go-- are misplaced,I should say, in the archives,
it's a little bit more stressfuland like hunting that stuff down
and like, who is the last personto route this to wherever?
And is it at the LSC?
Or is it here?
Or is it the LRC?
CHARLIE BENNETT (15:47):
What's the usual time gap for those?
Because you're not talkingabout, oh, I just had this.
Where did I put it?
You're talking about,we know we own this,
but we cannot locate it.
ALEX BRINSON (15:58):
What do you mean by time gap?
How long they've been--
CHARLIE BENNETT (16:00):
You said who used it last.
Is that who used it last year?
Who used it 10 years ago?
Who used it in the '50s?
ALEX BRINSON (16:07):
It's not as far back as 10 years.
I think theearliest, 2021, 2022,
maybe things thatI've gone through,
our queues, what we call themand seeing who touched it last.
And sometimes, they don'teven work here anymore.
So there are different steps youcan go through to hunt it down.
(16:30):
But yeah, nothing isfull-on missing, I will say,
I want to say.
But that is a little panicthat I get every time.
It's like, oh,where is this box?
CHARLIE BENNETT (16:40):
Jody, if you're listening,
nothing's gone missing.
ALEX BRINSON (16:42):
Nothing's gone, I promise.
CHARLIE BENNETT (16:44):
So right at the end of the segment--
and I don't want youto leave this segment
with the stressful thing.
What's the best part of thereference archivist job?
ALEX BRINSON (16:53):
Yeah, I will say the best part is
working with researchers.
And you help them get tosolve their problem or solve--
find something that's helpfulfor them in their research
and working withall kinds of people.
My first week inthis job, I worked
with someone whowas doing research
(17:14):
from Germany, which was crazy,and getting on a Zoom call
with them and helping themfind stuff in our collections.
Because obviously, that'sa far way to travel,
and you don't even knowif we have what you want.
So working with themand helping them,
so that's probablythe best part.
FRED RASCOE (17:29):
You're right.
That's a better wayto end that segment.
CHARLIE BENNETT (17:31):
Thank you Fred.
FRED RASCOE (17:32):
You're listening to Lost in the Stacks.
And we're going to hear moreabout Alex Brinson, reference
archivist at Georgia Tech onthe left side of the hour.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
WAYNE CLOUGH (17:50):
Hi.
This is Wayne Clough, PresidentEmeritus of Georgia Tech
and Secretary Emeritus ofthe Smithsonian Institution.
And you are listening to Lostin the Stacks on WREK Atlanta.
CHARLIE BENNETT (18:11):
Today's show is called "Into the Professional
Groove," and we're talking toAlex Brinson about her path
to becoming areference archivist.
As many archivistshave pointed out,
often over theyears of the show,
archives aren't justabout preserving.
They are about access.
And that's an especiallyimportant point
for those in the role of areference archivist, the ones
(18:34):
who interact directlywith the public,
be they in Germany or inthe room in front of them.
Archivists areactivists for access.
And Fred, I cannot believe youwrote that line for me, A, A, A.
FRED RASCOE (18:46):
I'm sorry.
The alliteration didn'teven occur to me.
CHARLIE BENNETT: I'm dying over here. (18:50):
undefined
I can't even say "access."
As another scholar ofarchives, Claire Radcliffe,
wrote in her 2014 master'sthesis called Educating
Reference Archivists,"Public services in archives
has increased the importance ofreference and facilitating use.
This is only magnifiedby the increased
interest in advocacy withinthe profession in recent years.
(19:13):
In order to fulfill thismandate of advocacy,
a good reference archivist mustprioritize the human element
of archival work.
Some archivists might be happyto sit in a back room all day
processing collections, butthat processing work is without
purpose if no researcher evermakes use of the materials."
(19:35):
I got a little "hmm" from Cody.
That was nice.
That was a satisfying "hmm."
FRED RASCOE (19:39):
That was an "amen" for the amen break.
CHARLIE BENNETT (19:40):
Yeah.
File this set under CD950.H64.
That was "RopeLadder to the Moon"
by Brian Auger and JulieTippetts, and before that,
(20:01):
"Put the Message in theBox" by World Party.
a call to action,but we didn't do it.
Songs about findingcreative ways
to provide access to everyone.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
I see you, Fred,getting the bump.
FRED RASCOE (20:16):
This is Lost in the Stacks.
I did it right that time.
So proud.
And our show today is called"Into the Professional Groove."
And we're specificallygrooving on the role
of reference archivist, thenew position of our guest, Alex
Brinson.
So in this segment, Alex, Iwant to reflect a little bit.
We talked about your career pathso far and how you got here.
(20:38):
And we mentioned your residency.
That residency, which happeneda couple of years ago,
that was actually specificallya diversity residency, which
the intention of it--through ACRL, correct?
ALEX BRINSON (20:51):
Yeah.
FRED RASCOE (20:51):
Yeah.
For that ACRLorganization to find
a pathway for marginalizedfolks who may not otherwise
get a look to have a wayto get into the library
and an archivist world,the professional world.
And of course, now we're ina time where Georgia Tech has
(21:13):
dialed back diversity efforts.
There's a lot ofcriticism for anything
that uses the termDEI right now.
But in your example, that'sa very good example of how
the system was supposed towork and worked successfully,
I think.
So now that yougot your position
(21:35):
going through thosechannels and then being here
and seeing those kinds ofthings being dialed back
and those kind ofinitiatives being cut back,
does it affect your perspectiveon your own career path
and how you got here?
ALEX BRINSON (21:50):
Yeah.
So I will say it's been alittle unreal to see everything
kind of going backwards now.
I am still doing work with ACRL.
I'm a part of theirresidency interest group.
And I'm working on one oftheir various committees.
(22:13):
So I kind of seestill doing that work
and helping residentscoming after me,
even if it's not happeninghere necessarily.
Having that community hasbeen really important.
Yeah.
So it's disappointingto see what's happening.
But the bright side, to me--
(22:36):
I'm trying to lookforward and how
I can help other residentsmove into positions the way
I was able to and notcut the rope after me
or whatever thatexpression is, making sure
that they can also follow thatsame path, if that makes sense.
CHARLIE BENNETT (22:57):
Well, I feel like we should highlight that.
Yeah.
So instead of pulling theladder up behind you--
ALEX BRINSON (23:02):
Yeah.
CHARLIE BENNETT: Which is not what (23:02):
undefined
you would have donebecause the ladder has been
set on fire by outside forces.
ALEX BRINSON (23:07):
Right.
CHARLIE BENNETT (23:07):
Yeah.
The residencyprogram, it gave you
a chance to see a wholespectrum of library work.
And that's-- I feel like weshould highlight that also,
that that's the key to theresidency program is that people
are able to experience all thedifferent pieces of the library
(23:28):
in a really systematicway instead of my story,
which was I was astudent assistant.
And I was just around,osmosis, and made my way
into the consciousnessof the organization.
Do you have any paths not takenthat you've been thinking about?
ALEX BRINSON (23:49):
Of other, I guess, library-adjacent roles
or-- yeah, other areasof librarianship?
CHARLIE BENNETT (23:55):
I don't want you to tell
us, what's your second ran?
But do you see multiple careerscoming out of this fellowship?
ALEX BRINSON (24:04):
I definitely do.
Something I started butdidn't necessarily get
to dive super deepinto was cataloging.
And I see a lot of rare bookcataloging positions coming up
lately.
And I think about howprocessing goes along with that.
(24:25):
And if I sharpen mycataloging skills,
I could move into that rare bookspace, which is really cool.
Those jobs don't comearound very often.
But it is a very nicheand interesting area
of our profession.
So I think about that sometimes.
CHARLIE BENNETT (24:42):
Did you have to stop paying attention
to some potential careers?
Were you interested in too many?
ALEX BRINSON (24:48):
Yeah.
I felt that a lotin library school.
I've always felt that way,I think, even in undergrad,
having to pick--
they had to force me topick a major because I think
they made you by spring ofsophomore year or something
like that.
But I felt similarlyin library school
where they were like,pick a concentration.
(25:09):
And I was like, itall sounds cool.
I don't want to narrowmyself down too quickly.
And I think that's also why Idid this residency, because I
just wanted one lasthurrah of seeing everything
that goes on in the librarybefore I officially chose.
FRED RASCOE (25:28):
Positions-- you mentioned how hard positions are
to come by, like in rare books.
In archives in general,they're pretty competitive.
And yeah, that benefitof being around--
like Charlie said,when he was a student,
that diversity residencyhelped you to just kind of
be around at the Georgia TechLibrary to fall into that.
(25:49):
And I think you are thefirst Black archivist
that Georgia Tech has ever had.
ALEX BRINSON (25:55):
That is what I've heard.
FRED RASCOE (25:56):
I think that's-- yeah, that's huge.
ALEX BRINSON (25:58):
Which is kind of wild to think about.
CHARLIE BENNETT (26:00):
I cannot believe we buried that lead.
Oh, my goodness.
FRED RASCOE (26:02):
Yeah.
And so how doesthat change how you
deal with other archivistsin the profession?
Do you network and like,oh, another Black archivist.
There's more of us.
Do you get thosekinds of connections?
Or does it change maybewith people who come in
to get reference services?
ALEX BRINSON (26:21):
I think the idea is
that it's less intimidating,hopefully, for folks who come in
and they see someone who lookslike them behind the reference
desk in the archives.
And it's like, oh, thisis an accessible area.
I'm welcome here, is the idea.
(26:41):
But then also connecting--you said something
about connecting withBlack archivists.
I went to-- it was ALA,but it was Black Caucus.
I think it was BCALA'sconference last year.
And I was able to meet--it was mostly librarians,
but there were otherBlack archivists there.
(27:03):
And so being able to networkwith those folks is really great
because they see-- we seeeach other's research,
and we get really excitedand like, oh, you should do--
you should present here oryou should write this here.
And we get to bounce ideasoff of each other, which
is really great too.
MARLEE GIVENS (27:20):
This is Lost in the Stacks,
and our show was called "Intothe Professional Groove."
We were joined by Alex Brinson,brand new reference archivist
here at Georgia Tech.
And I think we all wish wehad another hour with you.
CHARLIE BENNETT (27:34):
Yeah, we got a couple more shows now.
FRED RASCOE (27:36):
But we're planning that documentary, remember,
about your whole career.
So to be continued.
MARLEE GIVENS (27:42):
Exactly.
Thanks.
Thanks for joining us.
ALEX BRINSON (27:44):
Yeah.
Thanks for having me again.
CHARLIE BENNETT (27:46):
File this set under E78.S7H27.
That was "Now That I KnowYou" by Timo Van Lierop.
(28:08):
I hope that's how you say it.
And before that, "The RightPath" by Dark, Dark, Dark.
I know that's how you say it.
Songs about finding yourself onthe right path to the place you
belong.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
MARLEE GIVENS (28:27):
Today's show was called "Into the Professional
Groove."
We've talked a lot today aboutthe pathways of our profession.
Our guest, Alex, isstill early career.
But the three ofus old folks have
been in our own professionalgroove for a while.
CHARLIE BENNETT (28:44):
This Gen X middle-aged show crew.
MARLEE GIVENS (28:47):
So I'm interested to know
what is the closestthat the rest of us
have ever come to being knockedoff our current librarianship
path?
What about you, Fred?
FRED RASCOE (28:56):
Well, I don't know if I would have been totally
knocked off thelibrarianship path,
but when I firststarted at Georgia Tech,
my family was stillliving in Tennessee.
I was kind of commutingback and forth on weekends.
And after about sixmonths of that--
it was about eightmonths before we finally
were all together in Georgia.
And after about four orfive, six months of that,
(29:19):
I was done with everything.
I was ready to justchuck it all in.
That was an inflectionpoint for me.
CHARLIE BENNETT (29:29):
Wow.
FRED RASCOE (29:30):
How about you, Charlie?
CHARLIE BENNETT (29:32):
Oh, man.
Just today, I was thinking, Idon't know why I'm doing this.
What's the purpose of anything?
I have had a veryhard time having
a stable professionalrelationship to librarianship.
I've crafted my own job, craftedmy own bolted-together career.
And it doesn't createa groove at all.
(29:54):
So any pothole, and all mytires fly off immediately.
But how about you, Marlee?
Maybe you have a betteranswer than I do.
MARLEE GIVENS (30:03):
I mean, I think I'm somewhere in between.
I'm always kind of thinkingabout what else I could do.
And then I just have to rememberthat this is the place that I'm
the most comfortable.
It's been 30 years.
There's other thingsthat I could do,
(30:23):
but I don't thinkI'd be as happy.
So--
CHARLIE BENNETT (30:27):
Well, gosh.
FRED RASCOE (30:28):
And maybe--
Cody is the person in the roomwho doesn't work in the library.
But maybe there's an inflectionpoint where he thinks,
maybe I'll go intolibrarianship.
Possibility?
CODY (30:40):
Yeah.
How are those entry-leveljobs looking for librarians?
FRED RASCOE (30:42):
Oh, yeah.
OK, so that's--
CHARLIE BENNETT (30:44):
Three years' experience, dude.
And the show does not count.
Roll the credits.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
MARLEE GIVENS: Lost in the Stacks (30:54):
undefined
is a collaboration between WREKAtlanta and the Georgia Tech
Library.
Written and produced byAlex McGee, Charlie Bennett,
Fred Rascoe, and Marlee Givens.
CHARLIE BENNETT (31:04):
Legal counsel and shockingly detailed
genealogy charts foreveryone on the show
were provided by the BurrusIntellectual Property Law Group
in Atlanta, Georgia.
MARLEE GIVENS (31:13):
Special Thanks to Alex B. for being on the show,
to the North DakotaState University Archives
for their incrediblesong that started us off.
CHARLIE BENNETT (31:21):
Wow.
MARLEE GIVENS (31:22):
And thanks, as always, to each and every one
of you for listening.
CHARLIE BENNETT (31:25):
Our web page is library.gatech.e
du/lostinthestacks, where you'llfind our most recent episode,
a link to our podcastfeed, and a web form
if you want to getin touch with us.
MARLEE GIVENS (31:36):
Next week, it's the first Friday of the month,
so we'll be visiting anothersite in the Georgia Tech Library
Guidebook.
FRED RASCOE (31:43):
It's time for our last song today.
It's Fridayafternoon, and I think
I'm done with the professionalgroove for this week.
CHARLIE BENNETT: You mean the rut? (31:50):
undefined
You're out of the rut.
FRED RASCOE (31:52):
It's time to switch to the weekend groove.
So why don't we close out withsome classic 1970s disco funk?
How does that sound?
This is "Groove Me" by MassProduction right here on Lost
in the Stacks.
Have a groovyweekend, everybody.
CHARLIE BENNETT (32:09):
Fred, I never know what you're going to do.
FRED RASCOE (32:13):
Me either.
(00:02):
["WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE"PLAYING]
(SINGING) Welcome to the archive
We got what's arcane
We got everything you want
Honey, we know no names
Where there arepeople who can find
(00:22):
Whatever you might need
If you're on sabbatical,we'll help you out for free
In the archives
Welcome to the archive
Leave your pens home please
You know where you are?
In the archive, baby!
Ha!
(00:43):
[UPBEAT MUSIC]
CHARLIE BENNETT (01:06):
You are listening to WREK Atlanta.
And this is Lost in theStacks, the research library
rock-and-roll radio show.
I'm Charlie Bennettin the jungle,
no, in the studio withFred, Marlee, Cody,
and a guest to benamed in a moment.
Each week on Lost in theStacks, we pick a theme
and then use it to create amix of music and library talk.
(01:27):
Whichever you tune infor, we hope you dig it.
FRED RASCOE (01:30):
And our show today is called "Into the Professional
Groove."
Do you feel like you're in aprofessional groove, Charlie?
CHARLIE BENNETT (01:37):
Well, I mean, groove is in the heart.
And I'm really tryingto avoid vocational awe.
So I guess a professionalgroove would have no heart,
but that would be like a rut.
Fred, I don't know.
What are you asking me?
Is a professional groove a rut?
FRED RASCOE (01:50):
OK, well, I kind of like your description, though.
But yeah, it's differentfrom being in a rut the way
I was thinking about it.
It's recognizing that you're ona path that feels comfortable
moving in the right direction.
CHARLIE BENNETT (02:00):
Then I plead the fifth on this question.
MARLEE GIVENS (02:03):
Well, we all take different paths
to end up in whateverprofessional role we land in.
And we've talked aboutour roundabout paths
on numerous shows.
CHARLIE BENNETT (02:12):
Yeah, we have.
FRED RASCOE (02:13):
So today, we're going
to talk to someone whois both new and not new
to the archival practice.
CHARLIE BENNETT (02:18):
Wait, at the Georgia Tech--
is this an "introduceyourself" show?
MARLEE GIVENS (02:21):
Well, it is with a twist.
CHARLIE BENNETT (02:24):
OK.
MARLEE GIVENS (02:25):
Sorry.
I need to silence myphone in a second.
FRED RASCOE (02:29):
That was the twist.
MARLEE GIVENS (02:30):
That was--
well, OK.
No, there will be another twist.
And we'll talk about ourguest's professional path.
And maybe we'll find outif she feels like she
is in a professional groove.
CHARLIE BENNETT: No ruts allowed. (02:39):
undefined
FRED RASCOE (02:41):
So our songs today are about transitions,
providing access, and findingyourself on the right path.
And to set the groovytone, man, we're
all going to getinto the groove.
This is "Into the Groove-y"a cover of the Madonna song
as recorded by Sonic Youthreleased under the name Ciccone
Youth for whatever reason, righthere on Lost in the Stacks.
CHARLIE BENNETT (03:03):
It's because it's her real name, dude.
(03:25):
["Into the Groove-y"by Sonic Youth]
MARLEE GIVENS (03:27):
That was "Into the Groove-y" by Sonic Youth,
also known as CicconeYouth, for the purposes of--
FRED RASCOE (03:34):
Yeah.
For that one album.
MARLEE GIVENS (03:35):
--that one album.
Yep.
And you're listeningto Lost in the Stacks.
Our show today is called"Into the Professional Groove.
FRED RASCOE (03:43):
And it's an "introduce yourself" show.
CHARLIE BENNETT (03:45):
Right on.
FRED RASCOE (03:46):
So let's meet this person we're being introduced
to for the very first time.
CHARLIE BENNETT (03:51):
Never in the studio before.
FRED RASCOE (03:53):
Alex Brinson, welcome back to the show.
ALEX BRINSON (03:57):
Hi.
Happy to be here.
FRED RASCOE (03:59):
Right.
This is actually the fourth timethat you've been on the show.
We're doing, like, a real-timebiography of your entire career
arc as an archivist.
I don't know ifyou realize that.
It's like that movie withEthan Hawke where they shot it,
and the kid growsup in real time.
CHARLIE BENNETT (04:16):
Boyhood, but it's archivist-hood.
FRED RASCOE (04:18):
Right.
Archivist-hood.
Yeah, that should be the nameof the show, archivist-hood.
Yeah.
That'll be the name of theseries once we're done with it.
CHARLIE BENNETT (04:24):
There you go.
FRED RASCOE (04:25):
Yeah, you didn't know
that we're actually goingto do a whole biography
of your archival career.
Because we started-- your firsttime on the show was, I think,
just within weeksof you coming to--
ALEX BRINSON (04:34):
It was really early on, yeah,
in that first year residency.
CHARLIE BENNETT (04:37):
It felt like a hazing, right?
ALEX BRINSON (04:39):
It did.
I was very scared.
FRED RASCOE (04:41):
And that's when we got
to find out that you workedat the Atlanta Center
for Puppetry Arts, and wewanted to derail the whole show
and talk about that.
ALEX BRINSON (04:49):
Talk about puppets.
FRED RASCOE (04:50):
Right.
And then you workedat public libraries.
You worked at AUC.
And then we had you ontalking about your experiences
in that residency.
And you wrote an article aboutit, about that experience,
and we had you ontalking about that.
So we had you on rightat the beginning,
and then after you'd been herea while and got your feet wet
(05:11):
a little bit, andthen we had you
on talking about when youdecided you were really
going to be in the archivesdepartment as a resident
and diving into an accessibilityproject in archives,
bringing hiddencollections to the fore.
ALEX BRINSON (05:27):
Right.
My capstone project iswhat they called it, right,
on inclusive description.
FRED RASCOE (05:33):
Right.
And now you're nolonger a resident.
You are brand new.
You have a newposition, which is?
ALEX BRINSON (05:43):
I am a reference archivist here at Georgia Tech.
CHARLIE BENNETT (05:45):
I feel like we should give you
a copy of that Dr. Seuss book,Oh, The Places You'll Go.
That's what that soundslike we were leading up to.
So reference archivist--
I kind of knowwhat that is, but I
think I'd like to hearwhat is that job from where
you sit in it?
ALEX BRINSON (06:01):
Right.
So the breakdown is kind of--
FRED RASCOE (06:07):
It's OK.
There's stuff happening in theheadphones that you can't hear.
So go ahead.
Just lay into it.
ALEX BRINSON (06:12):
OK.
So the breakdown is that I stilldo all of the archivist-y things
that you would think.
I still process collections tomake them available to users.
But then the bulk of myjob is helping people
find what we actually have.
So answering thosequestions when they come in.
We use LibAnswershere in the archives.
(06:34):
So when we getquestions through there,
when people come to ourreading desk for archives,
I run that space.
And yeah, I kind oflike to think of it
as it's been a culminationof my time as a librarian,
because I feel like I usethose skills, too, on the desk,
(06:55):
but then also archives becauseI've processed collections.
So I kind of havethat mind of how
things would be described inorder to help people find it.
Because it's not asimmediately obvious to someone
just off the street coming inand looking at finding aids.
CHARLIE BENNETT (07:11):
So you don't have an archivist graduate
degree.
You have a libraryscience degree.
ALEX BRINSON (07:18):
Yes.
I have a library sciencedegree with a concentration
in metadata architecture.
CHARLIE BENNETT (07:24):
OK.
I mean, yeah, itapplies certainly.
I'm not trying to call you out.
ALEX BRINSON (07:28):
No.
CHARLIE BENNETT: You ended up coming (07:28):
undefined
as a librarian to learn allabout academic libraries.
You found archives, worked init, and now you're an archivist.
ALEX BRINSON (07:38):
Right.
So my degree isn'tnecessarily in archives,
but I've always been kind ofarchives-adjacent like Center
for Puppetry Arts was kind of--well, that was more museum.
And then when Iworked at the AUC,
I was doing digitizationwork, so I was working
with archival materials there.
My only trulynon-archives job has been
when I was in public libraries.
(07:59):
So yeah.
CHARLIE BENNETT (08:00):
It's sort of a shadow purpose
of Lost in the Stacks toexplode the idea that you
got to get exactly theright degree to do some job.
ALEX BRINSON (08:07):
Right.
FRED RASCOE (08:08):
Right.
Yeah we're trying toopen librarianship--
and by "we", I mean theprofession of librarianship.
We're trying to open it--
open doors to more people.
CHARLIE BENNETT (08:20):
Yeah.
So was there a big transition?
Were you kind ofalready doing the job
and then gettingit made it formal?
Or did anything get added toyour duties that was, oh, wow.
Now I'm really in it.
ALEX BRINSON (08:33):
So it's definitely--
it was a transition of runningday-to-day things in our reading
room was probablythe biggest shift.
I was processing materialsin the residency,
so that wasn't much of a shift.
But designing a schedulefor the people on the desk
and making sure the temperaturedoesn't spike in the room
(08:55):
and making sure things-- wehave an off-site location
for our materials,so making sure
that stuff is getting back andforth without disappearing.
It's been the day-to-day stuffthat is added on to my job.
And then so the main shifthas been that, as a resident,
my focus was career development.
And my job was to seekout those opportunities,
(09:16):
write, present, do all ofeverything I could to develop
my knowledge in archives.
And now it's theday-to-day stuff.
So that has been atransition for sure.
CHARLIE BENNETT: Off air, you'll have (09:29):
undefined
to tell us how to keep thetemperature from spiking.
Everybody wouldlike to know that.
ALEX BRINSON (09:34):
It's mostly just communicating
with the building team.
Help.
It's hot in here.
CHARLIE BENNETT (09:38):
We can do that.
Yeah.
This is Lost in the Stacks.
We'll be back with more fromAlex Brinson after a music set.
MARLEE GIVENS (09:44):
And you can file this set under HF5381.M3964.
[A PROJECTION, "TRANSITION"]No more staying out late
No more singingon the dance floor
FRED RASCOE (10:08):
That was "Transition" by A Projection.
And before that, "ItChanges" by Amber Arcades.
Those were songs aboutmaintaining a groove
through a transition.
And do you want tohear a bump, Charlie?
CHARLIE BENNETT: I'd love a bump. (10:24):
undefined
FRED RASCOE (10:25):
OK.
Can you give me just a second?
CHARLIE BENNETT: Yeah, of course I can. (10:27):
undefined
FRED RASCOE (10:29):
OK.
CHARLIE BENNETT (10:29):
We can also dispense with it if you want.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
FRED RASCOE (10:31):
There it is.
No, I really wanted to play it.
And there it is.
So now we're done.
CHARLIE BENNETT: Should we cop to it? (10:36):
undefined
Once again, the Air Studioscomputer is on the fritz.
And so we're hangingon for dear life.
FRED RASCOE (10:42):
Right.
That's accurate.
CHARLIE BENNETT (10:44):
Cool.
MARLEE GIVENS (10:45):
This is Lost in the Stacks.
Today's show is called "Intothe Professional Groove."
In the last segment, we talkedabout how you, Alex Brinson,
got into your new position.
So let's talk about what youare doing in that position now,
reference archivist.
Let's start with reference.
What's the reference part like?
ALEX BRINSON (11:04):
Yeah.
So I get--
I would say the mostcommon thing people
ask about are theirfamily members.
Did they go to Tech?
What was their time like here?
Can I get photographs?
When did they graduate?
Things like that.
CHARLIE BENNETT (11:20):
And this is not other Tech people.
This is the familiesof Tech people
who are not Tech students?
ALEX BRINSON (11:25):
Sometimes they did go to Tech,
but yeah, I've had as far backas, oh, they graduated in 1902.
Can I see their transcripts?
Which isn't usuallysomething we would have.
That's something else.
But helping themfind information
on their family member.
That's usually the biggestthings I encounter.
(11:47):
One of the interesting onesI've been working on right now,
the family member islooking into their I
don't know how manytimes back grandfather,
but he graduated in1902, like I said.
And he supposedly came and gothis bachelor's degree in one
(12:09):
year.
He zoomed through.
FRED RASCOE (12:12):
Things were different in 1902.
ALEX BRINSON (12:14):
Yes.
And then went to Cornell.
But supposedly,he had a building
dedicated to him at some point.
I haven't been able tofind that information.
CHARLIE BENNETT (12:24):
This is some George P. Burdell stuff.
ALEX BRINSON (12:25):
Yeah.
Yeah.
We did find, though,evidence that he did
have really greatgrades, graduated
really early through LymanHall's correspondence.
Shoutout Katie Gentilello.
She helped me find that.
But yeah, it's likea little mystery
every time someoneasks a question that's
(12:47):
out of the blue like that.
And then I get to digaround and find stuff.
FRED RASCOE (12:50):
And you have to through family lore.
Because I can imagine that couldbe a story that's passed down,
like, oh, yeah, I had abuilding dedicated to me.
The truth is, I attended.
I got a degree.
And then it kind of getsembellished through the years.
CHARLIE BENNETT (13:03):
My name was up on the wall.
ALEX BRINSON (13:05):
Right, right.
It's like, whatbuilding, though?
So yeah.
Yeah.
CHARLIE BENNETT (13:10):
Do those usually feel satisfying to you?
Whenever I get a bibliographiccertification question,
as a librarian, Iget really into it.
And if I can finishit, it's a real high.
But sometimes, it's a dead end.
It's just like, I don'thave the article for you.
I don't know how toget you this citation.
And--
ALEX BRINSON (13:29):
Yeah.
CHARLIE BENNETT (13:30):
--it kills me.
ALEX BRINSON (13:30):
That's always kind of a letdown.
I think about how, when I wasan adult services librarian,
people would ask for things.
And they wouldn't even be asinvested in the answer as I was.
And they would be like, oh, ifyou can't find it, no big deal.
And they walk off.
I'm still looking forthe answer hours later.
(13:50):
Because now you'vebrought me into it.
So--
CHARLIE BENNETT (13:53):
You want to tell them.
ALEX BRINSON (13:54):
That's kind of how it is.
CHARLIE BENNETT (13:55):
You set me in motion here.
ALEX BRINSON (13:56):
Exactly.
CHARLIE BENNETT (13:56):
You asked me a question,
and I need to find the answer.
ALEX BRINSON (13:59):
Exactly.
So they could be long gone.
But I'm still looking,trying to figure it out.
And it's similarin this job, too.
FRED RASCOE (14:05):
You want that endorphin
hit, that I found the thing.
ALEX BRINSON (14:09):
Yeah.
It could be days later.
And I'm like, oh, mygosh, I finally found it.
So yeah, it feels good whenyou find the answer for folks.
CHARLIE BENNETT: You also mentioned (14:17):
undefined
schedules, some realnitty-gritty kind of stuff.
You're running thereading room now.
ALEX BRINSON (14:25):
Yeah.
So I manage thatspace, which involves--
so everyone in the archivesdepartment, for the most part,
works on the desk for anhour or two each week.
So kind of giving everyone--working around everyone's
schedule is the fun part.
And then people haveconflicting meetings
or have to be out of townand then kind of negotiating
(14:47):
who will cover.
So that's been a large part ofthis job as well, managing that.
And then probably themost stressful thing
is not wanting to lose thingswhen things go missing because--
CHARLIE BENNETT (15:01):
Wait.
Whoa.
What?
ALEX BRINSON: Missing sounds bad. (15:04):
undefined
CHARLIE BENNETT (15:05):
Yeah.
ALEX BRINSON (15:06):
But I mean, we know
that archival materials are--
they're not-- you'renot coming by them.
You can't justreplace them easily.
So it's a little bitmore stressful when
it's like, where's this box?
No one's seen it in a few years.
Because when I was a librarian,books went missing all the time.
And you'd put it in missing.
(15:28):
And then put it in lost.
And then it's like, oh,we'll just buy another one.
When things go-- are misplaced,I should say, in the archives,
it's a little bit more stressfuland like hunting that stuff down
and like, who is the last personto route this to wherever?
And is it at the LSC?
Or is it here?
Or is it the LRC?
CHARLIE BENNETT (15:47):
What's the usual time gap for those?
Because you're not talkingabout, oh, I just had this.
Where did I put it?
You're talking about,we know we own this,
but we cannot locate it.
ALEX BRINSON (15:58):
What do you mean by time gap?
How long they've been--
CHARLIE BENNETT (16:00):
You said who used it last.
Is that who used it last year?
Who used it 10 years ago?
Who used it in the '50s?
ALEX BRINSON (16:07):
It's not as far back as 10 years.
I think theearliest, 2021, 2022,
maybe things thatI've gone through,
our queues, what we call themand seeing who touched it last.
And sometimes, they don'teven work here anymore.
So there are different steps youcan go through to hunt it down.
(16:30):
But yeah, nothing isfull-on missing, I will say,
I want to say.
But that is a little panicthat I get every time.
It's like, oh,where is this box?
CHARLIE BENNETT (16:40):
Jody, if you're listening,
nothing's gone missing.
ALEX BRINSON (16:42):
Nothing's gone, I promise.
CHARLIE BENNETT (16:44):
So right at the end of the segment--
and I don't want youto leave this segment
with the stressful thing.
What's the best part of thereference archivist job?
ALEX BRINSON (16:53):
Yeah, I will say the best part is
working with researchers.
And you help them get tosolve their problem or solve--
find something that's helpfulfor them in their research
and working withall kinds of people.
My first week inthis job, I worked
with someone whowas doing research
(17:14):
from Germany, which was crazy,and getting on a Zoom call
with them and helping themfind stuff in our collections.
Because obviously, that'sa far way to travel,
and you don't even knowif we have what you want.
So working with themand helping them,
so that's probablythe best part.
FRED RASCOE (17:29):
You're right.
That's a better wayto end that segment.
CHARLIE BENNETT (17:31):
Thank you Fred.
FRED RASCOE (17:32):
You're listening to Lost in the Stacks.
And we're going to hear moreabout Alex Brinson, reference
archivist at Georgia Tech onthe left side of the hour.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
WAYNE CLOUGH (17:50):
Hi.
This is Wayne Clough, PresidentEmeritus of Georgia Tech
and Secretary Emeritus ofthe Smithsonian Institution.
And you are listening to Lostin the Stacks on WREK Atlanta.
CHARLIE BENNETT (18:11):
Today's show is called "Into the Professional
Groove," and we're talking toAlex Brinson about her path
to becoming areference archivist.
As many archivistshave pointed out,
often over theyears of the show,
archives aren't justabout preserving.
They are about access.
And that's an especiallyimportant point
for those in the role of areference archivist, the ones
(18:34):
who interact directlywith the public,
be they in Germany or inthe room in front of them.
Archivists areactivists for access.
And Fred, I cannot believe youwrote that line for me, A, A, A.
FRED RASCOE (18:46):
I'm sorry.
The alliteration didn'teven occur to me.
CHARLIE BENNETT: I'm dying over here. (18:50):
undefined
I can't even say "access."
As another scholar ofarchives, Claire Radcliffe,
wrote in her 2014 master'sthesis called Educating
Reference Archivists,"Public services in archives
has increased the importance ofreference and facilitating use.
This is only magnifiedby the increased
interest in advocacy withinthe profession in recent years.
(19:13):
In order to fulfill thismandate of advocacy,
a good reference archivist mustprioritize the human element
of archival work.
Some archivists might be happyto sit in a back room all day
processing collections, butthat processing work is without
purpose if no researcher evermakes use of the materials."
(19:35):
I got a little "hmm" from Cody.
That was nice.
That was a satisfying "hmm."
FRED RASCOE (19:39):
That was an "amen" for the amen break.
CHARLIE BENNETT (19:40):
Yeah.
File this set under CD950.H64.
That was "RopeLadder to the Moon"
by Brian Auger and JulieTippetts, and before that,
(20:01):
"Put the Message in theBox" by World Party.
a call to action,but we didn't do it.
Songs about findingcreative ways
to provide access to everyone.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
I see you, Fred,getting the bump.
FRED RASCOE (20:16):
This is Lost in the Stacks.
I did it right that time.
So proud.
And our show today is called"Into the Professional Groove."
And we're specificallygrooving on the role
of reference archivist, thenew position of our guest, Alex
Brinson.
So in this segment, Alex, Iwant to reflect a little bit.
We talked about your career pathso far and how you got here.
(20:38):
And we mentioned your residency.
That residency, which happeneda couple of years ago,
that was actually specificallya diversity residency, which
the intention of it--through ACRL, correct?
ALEX BRINSON (20:51):
Yeah.
FRED RASCOE (20:51):
Yeah.
For that ACRLorganization to find
a pathway for marginalizedfolks who may not otherwise
get a look to have a wayto get into the library
and an archivist world,the professional world.
And of course, now we're ina time where Georgia Tech has
(21:13):
dialed back diversity efforts.
There's a lot ofcriticism for anything
that uses the termDEI right now.
But in your example, that'sa very good example of how
the system was supposed towork and worked successfully,
I think.
So now that yougot your position
(21:35):
going through thosechannels and then being here
and seeing those kinds ofthings being dialed back
and those kind ofinitiatives being cut back,
does it affect your perspectiveon your own career path
and how you got here?
ALEX BRINSON (21:50):
Yeah.
So I will say it's been alittle unreal to see everything
kind of going backwards now.
I am still doing work with ACRL.
I'm a part of theirresidency interest group.
And I'm working on one oftheir various committees.
(22:13):
So I kind of seestill doing that work
and helping residentscoming after me,
even if it's not happeninghere necessarily.
Having that community hasbeen really important.
Yeah.
So it's disappointingto see what's happening.
But the bright side, to me--
(22:36):
I'm trying to lookforward and how
I can help other residentsmove into positions the way
I was able to and notcut the rope after me
or whatever thatexpression is, making sure
that they can also follow thatsame path, if that makes sense.
CHARLIE BENNETT (22:57):
Well, I feel like we should highlight that.
Yeah.
So instead of pulling theladder up behind you--
ALEX BRINSON (23:02):
Yeah.
CHARLIE BENNETT: Which is not what (23:02):
undefined
you would have donebecause the ladder has been
set on fire by outside forces.
ALEX BRINSON (23:07):
Right.
CHARLIE BENNETT (23:07):
Yeah.
The residencyprogram, it gave you
a chance to see a wholespectrum of library work.
And that's-- I feel like weshould highlight that also,
that that's the key to theresidency program is that people
are able to experience all thedifferent pieces of the library
(23:28):
in a really systematicway instead of my story,
which was I was astudent assistant.
And I was just around,osmosis, and made my way
into the consciousnessof the organization.
Do you have any paths not takenthat you've been thinking about?
ALEX BRINSON (23:49):
Of other, I guess, library-adjacent roles
or-- yeah, other areasof librarianship?
CHARLIE BENNETT (23:55):
I don't want you to tell
us, what's your second ran?
But do you see multiple careerscoming out of this fellowship?
ALEX BRINSON (24:04):
I definitely do.
Something I started butdidn't necessarily get
to dive super deepinto was cataloging.
And I see a lot of rare bookcataloging positions coming up
lately.
And I think about howprocessing goes along with that.
(24:25):
And if I sharpen mycataloging skills,
I could move into that rare bookspace, which is really cool.
Those jobs don't comearound very often.
But it is a very nicheand interesting area
of our profession.
So I think about that sometimes.
CHARLIE BENNETT (24:42):
Did you have to stop paying attention
to some potential careers?
Were you interested in too many?
ALEX BRINSON (24:48):
Yeah.
I felt that a lotin library school.
I've always felt that way,I think, even in undergrad,
having to pick--
they had to force me topick a major because I think
they made you by spring ofsophomore year or something
like that.
But I felt similarlyin library school
where they were like,pick a concentration.
(25:09):
And I was like, itall sounds cool.
I don't want to narrowmyself down too quickly.
And I think that's also why Idid this residency, because I
just wanted one lasthurrah of seeing everything
that goes on in the librarybefore I officially chose.
FRED RASCOE (25:28):
Positions-- you mentioned how hard positions are
to come by, like in rare books.
In archives in general,they're pretty competitive.
And yeah, that benefitof being around--
like Charlie said,when he was a student,
that diversity residencyhelped you to just kind of
be around at the Georgia TechLibrary to fall into that.
(25:49):
And I think you are thefirst Black archivist
that Georgia Tech has ever had.
ALEX BRINSON (25:55):
That is what I've heard.
FRED RASCOE (25:56):
I think that's-- yeah, that's huge.
ALEX BRINSON (25:58):
Which is kind of wild to think about.
CHARLIE BENNETT (26:00):
I cannot believe we buried that lead.
Oh, my goodness.
FRED RASCOE (26:02):
Yeah.
And so how doesthat change how you
deal with other archivistsin the profession?
Do you network and like,oh, another Black archivist.
There's more of us.
Do you get thosekinds of connections?
Or does it change maybewith people who come in
to get reference services?
ALEX BRINSON (26:21):
I think the idea is
that it's less intimidating,hopefully, for folks who come in
and they see someone who lookslike them behind the reference
desk in the archives.
And it's like, oh, thisis an accessible area.
I'm welcome here, is the idea.
(26:41):
But then also connecting--you said something
about connecting withBlack archivists.
I went to-- it was ALA,but it was Black Caucus.
I think it was BCALA'sconference last year.
And I was able to meet--it was mostly librarians,
but there were otherBlack archivists there.
(27:03):
And so being able to networkwith those folks is really great
because they see-- we seeeach other's research,
and we get really excitedand like, oh, you should do--
you should present here oryou should write this here.
And we get to bounce ideasoff of each other, which
is really great too.
MARLEE GIVENS (27:20):
This is Lost in the Stacks,
and our show was called "Intothe Professional Groove."
We were joined by Alex Brinson,brand new reference archivist
here at Georgia Tech.
And I think we all wish wehad another hour with you.
CHARLIE BENNETT (27:34):
Yeah, we got a couple more shows now.
FRED RASCOE (27:36):
But we're planning that documentary, remember,
about your whole career.
So to be continued.
MARLEE GIVENS (27:42):
Exactly.
Thanks.
Thanks for joining us.
ALEX BRINSON (27:44):
Yeah.
Thanks for having me again.
CHARLIE BENNETT (27:46):
File this set under E78.S7H27.
That was "Now That I KnowYou" by Timo Van Lierop.
(28:08):
I hope that's how you say it.
And before that, "The RightPath" by Dark, Dark, Dark.
I know that's how you say it.
Songs about finding yourself onthe right path to the place you
belong.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
MARLEE GIVENS (28:27):
Today's show was called "Into the Professional
Groove."
We've talked a lot today aboutthe pathways of our profession.
Our guest, Alex, isstill early career.
But the three ofus old folks have
been in our own professionalgroove for a while.
CHARLIE BENNETT (28:44):
This Gen X middle-aged show crew.
MARLEE GIVENS (28:47):
So I'm interested to know
what is the closestthat the rest of us
have ever come to being knockedoff our current librarianship
path?
What about you, Fred?
FRED RASCOE (28:56):
Well, I don't know if I would have been totally
knocked off thelibrarianship path,
but when I firststarted at Georgia Tech,
my family was stillliving in Tennessee.
I was kind of commutingback and forth on weekends.
And after about sixmonths of that--
it was about eightmonths before we finally
were all together in Georgia.
And after about four orfive, six months of that,
(29:19):
I was done with everything.
I was ready to justchuck it all in.
That was an inflectionpoint for me.
CHARLIE BENNETT (29:29):
Wow.
FRED RASCOE (29:30):
How about you, Charlie?
CHARLIE BENNETT (29:32):
Oh, man.
Just today, I was thinking, Idon't know why I'm doing this.
What's the purpose of anything?
I have had a veryhard time having
a stable professionalrelationship to librarianship.
I've crafted my own job, craftedmy own bolted-together career.
And it doesn't createa groove at all.
(29:54):
So any pothole, and all mytires fly off immediately.
But how about you, Marlee?
Maybe you have a betteranswer than I do.
MARLEE GIVENS (30:03):
I mean, I think I'm somewhere in between.
I'm always kind of thinkingabout what else I could do.
And then I just have to rememberthat this is the place that I'm
the most comfortable.
It's been 30 years.
There's other thingsthat I could do,
(30:23):
but I don't thinkI'd be as happy.
So--
CHARLIE BENNETT (30:27):
Well, gosh.
FRED RASCOE (30:28):
And maybe--
Cody is the person in the roomwho doesn't work in the library.
But maybe there's an inflectionpoint where he thinks,
maybe I'll go intolibrarianship.
Possibility?
CODY (30:40):
Yeah.
How are those entry-leveljobs looking for librarians?
FRED RASCOE (30:42):
Oh, yeah.
OK, so that's--
CHARLIE BENNETT (30:44):
Three years' experience, dude.
And the show does not count.
Roll the credits.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
MARLEE GIVENS: Lost in the Stacks (30:54):
undefined
is a collaboration between WREKAtlanta and the Georgia Tech
Library.
Written and produced byAlex McGee, Charlie Bennett,
Fred Rascoe, and Marlee Givens.
CHARLIE BENNETT (31:04):
Legal counsel and shockingly detailed
genealogy charts foreveryone on the show
were provided by the BurrusIntellectual Property Law Group
in Atlanta, Georgia.
MARLEE GIVENS (31:13):
Special Thanks to Alex B. for being on the show,
to the North DakotaState University Archives
for their incrediblesong that started us off.
CHARLIE BENNETT (31:21):
Wow.
MARLEE GIVENS (31:22):
And thanks, as always, to each and every one
of you for listening.
CHARLIE BENNETT (31:25):
Our web page is library.gatech.e
du/lostinthestacks, where you'llfind our most recent episode,
a link to our podcastfeed, and a web form
if you want to getin touch with us.
MARLEE GIVENS (31:36):
Next week, it's the first Friday of the month,
so we'll be visiting anothersite in the Georgia Tech Library
Guidebook.
FRED RASCOE (31:43):
It's time for our last song today.
It's Fridayafternoon, and I think
I'm done with the professionalgroove for this week.
CHARLIE BENNETT: You mean the rut? (31:50):
undefined
You're out of the rut.
FRED RASCOE (31:52):
It's time to switch to the weekend groove.
So why don't we close out withsome classic 1970s disco funk?
How does that sound?
This is "Groove Me" by MassProduction right here on Lost
in the Stacks.
Have a groovyweekend, everybody.
CHARLIE BENNETT (32:09):
Fred, I never know what you're going to do.
FRED RASCOE (32:13):
Me either.
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