Getting to Know TS Librarians: Kevin Carey

1. Introduce yourself (name & position). 

Kevin Carey, Technical Services Librarian at The Ohio State University Moritz Law Library.

2. Does your job title actually describe what you do? Why/why not?  

Yes!  I actually love my title, Technical Services Librarian, because it is so general and yet specific at the same time.  We are a small department at Moritz, which provides great opportunities to get involved with all aspects of the work we do—as well as sometimes the obligation to take on tasks which typically might not be assigned to a “professional” librarian.  I primarily oversee the diverse cataloging work of all our print and electronic resources, but I also get to work with serials, microforms, bindery and preservation, collection maintenance, and even our college archives.  There are so many things we get to be involved with simply by virtue of the work being “technical” in nature.  And having a title that connects directly to our half of the traditional library divide is often a great opportunity to explain to colleagues just what “technical services” is, in libraries generally and then in terms of how our work supports the rest of our institution.

I also have an additional title as Building Coordinator for Drinko Hall, which houses the Moritz College of Law, and in that role I am responsible for all aspects of facilities maintenance, housekeeping, security, and emergency procedures for the college, not to mention all our renovation projects, large and small.  That part of my job is probably how most of our faculty and non-library staff know me best—and it always keeps things interesting!

3. What are you reading right now?  

While I was flying Southwest earlier this year, I read an article in the in-flight magazine about their founder Herb Kelleher, who just died in January, and I was really taken by his ethos of “love” as a manager and business leader.   So while I look forward to one day reading a biography of Herb Kelleher the man, in the meantime I have been learning about his company in Nuts!: Southwest Airlines’ Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success.

4. If you could work in any library (either a type of library or a specific one), what would it be? Why?  

I have spoken with many of my fellow librarians who would answer the same way: I would love to be a children’s librarian at a public library.  I have two elementary-school age daughters—plus a handful of young nieces and nephews here in town—and I actively embrace the role of personal librarian for these fascinating little people.  In fact, much of my non-work reading relates to children’s literature, as I try to come up with the next just-right recommendation for my growing readers, and I just love to shepherd them through that process of figuring out what they want to read—and why.