Steven Lavallee begins by discussing his first job as a shelver and how confusing the Rock was. He then goes through his other jobs, including working in Circulation, Serials and then as a manager in Circulation, ending up at the Sciences Library. He discusses the old technology of "needling" to determine which books were overdue, the dumbwaiter, and the pneumatic tube system which was outmoded when he arrived, but which he would use to play jokes on new student workers. All of those things were cutting edge when the Rockefeller was built. He then talks about the first electronic circulation system the library installed and how he regrets the fact that technology has taken away much of the staff's personal interactions with each other and patrons. He talks fondly about the card catalogue and watching staff add new cards to it. He goes on to talk about changes in spaces over the years.Steven discusses the typing rooms with microfilm readers and how they were used for "sketchy" purposes by students. He goes on to discuss changing attitudes towards work dress. Steven concludes with a great deal of "props" -- material he has saved over the years and found interesting, funny, or poignant, such as odd book titles, sheet music, poetry, correspondence, and the old staff newsletter.
This collection contains oral history interviews with longtime members of the Brown University Library staff, in celebration of the Rockefeller’s Library’s fiftieth anniversary in 2014. The interviews were conducted by Brown librarians Carina Cournoyer and Karen Bouchard. Staff members represent …
