Friends of the Bar, 0220 WYBJ, Vol. 43 No. 1. 46
| Position | Vol. 43 1 Pg. 46 |
Debora Person Masters, Library and Information Services Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Basic Bio: Deb is the Director of the George William Hopper Law Library, University of Wyoming College of Law. She earned her undergraduate degree in German language and literature from Arizona State University, and her MLIS from Rutgers. Deb was first hired at the UW law library in 1994 as the circulation manager. She has held several different positions since that time, eventually being promoted to Director in 2018. She has also taught the introductory and advanced legal research courses at the law school, teaching needed research skills to many, if not most, of the lawyers now practicing in Wyoming. Deb can be reached at dperson@uwyo.edu or (307) 766-5120.
The thing I enjoy most about working at the law library is the opportunity to get to know the students. My favorite moments are when students stop by to talk. Sometimes we talk about their projects, but often we just share conversation. Law school is a difficult time, and the library has tried to take on a role of nurturing the students and anticipating their needs. Granted, we are not always successful, but we try to give students a place to be as comfortable as possible during their years of study.
The thing that has surprised me most about my job is the wonderful people with whom I work. I highly recommend a career in libraries because your colleagues are all focused on service and helping, so there is no better group of people in the world to have on your team. Not every discipline or occupation can make that boast.
One of my fondest memories comes from my time working at the circulation desk, where I occasionally felt like a bartender. As I sat working, students would stop to pick up their mail in the cubbies next to the desk. While sorting through their mail they often chatted with me about their families or their class frustrations or their clinic experiences. I was always happy to be part of their day.
The worst part of my job is when I have to be the heavy. Everyone knows the stereotypical librarian who checks out books and shushes patrons. I’m happy to check out books, but I don’t like to shush people or correct users.
One of my favorite travel experiences is when I got to travel to a North Sea island called Spiekeroog. This occurred while...
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