Scott is the Director of Library Services at Mount St. Joseph University/Archbishop Alter Library in Cincinnati, OH (1850 FTE). He has been a member of ACL since 2000.
Librarian Career
I began my career as a librarian…as a student worker in the library at Cincinnati Christian University in 1989 and worked there for the next 28 years, advancing from a student worker to a paraprofessional to eventually a librarian and then finally serving as director. My first job in the library was filing library catalog cards. That makes me feel ancient!
Between the Pages: Getting to Know Our Member of the Month
Describe yourself using a book title: I’m going to cheat a bit here and say that if a book existed with the title, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Becoming a Professor,” that would be me. When I began pursuing my studies at CCU, I very much wanted to become a professor. Along the way, I sort of fell backward into library work, as I believe many other librarians I’ve met over the years have done, including my own father. But then I realized, like many others, that being a librarian provided a way of using my talents and skills in service to God’s kingdom that I had not previously imagined. And so here I am, all these years later, serving as an academic librarian!
What’s the best thing about being a librarian? Helping students and colleagues with their information and research needs. I enjoy helping to connect people with information resources and helping them become good researchers themselves.
What are you currently reading? A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan.
How do you as a librarian contribute to your campus or community? Our library team is fully invested in providing our students with the resources and services they need to succeed in reaching their educational goals and becoming lifelong learners. I’m happy to lead those efforts and serve alongside the members of our team as we help students learn how to learn, and as we support faculty in their instruction and research.
Do you have any specific interests in the library world? I’ve really enjoyed leading our library in supporting the university’s affordable textbook initiatives. I’ve also enjoyed leading two major renovation projects in my career. Another interest is library technology; our library has recently gone through an LSP migration together with the other libraries in our statewide consortium. That was easily one of the most challenging and stretching projects I’ve managed.
What are your hobbies or interests outside of work? I like to travel–I’m hoping to one day achieve my goal of travelling to all 50 US states (I’ve been 42 so far), and I enjoy visiting national parks. Also, Cincinnati is my adopted hometown, and I enjoy learning about its history. Over the years, I’ve amassed a collection of books on Cincinnati history. A librarian with a book collection–that seems cliche, doesn’t it?
ACL Involvement
How were you introduced to ACL? My dad, Jim Lloyd, introduced me to ACL.
Describe ACL in three words: Caring, Encouraging, Community
What do you value about ACL? I appreciate being part of a community in which librarians seek to help and encourage one another. When I first became a member of ACL, I valued and still value the opportunity to learn from the perspectives of others. And now that I’m older (though not necessarily always wiser), I appreciate the opportunity to share with others out of my own knowledge and experience.
How are you or have you been involved in ACL? I have attended and presented at ACL Conferences, participate on the ACL listserv, and am a member of of the CLC team.