Literacy Links

Literacy Programs Responding to Communities in Crisis

Inside TCALL

TCALL is an organization made up of wonderful personnel. We are hoping that in this new feature you will get an insider’s view into the individuals who work at TCALL. In this inaugural column, we feature Susan Morris whose dedication to excellent service is evident in her work as the Clearinghouse librarian. You can learn more about Susan in the following interview.

What is your primary job responsibility for TCALL?
As librarian, I’m responsible for the daily operation of the library. I read the emails that come to TCALL daily and see that the orders are filled, send out the overdue notices (you know who you are!), order new materials, help catalog items, straighten shelves, and do whatever else needs to be done to keep the library functioning. Libraries are like children or pets – they need constant care.

How long have you been in this position?
Three and a half years.

What do you find most rewarding about the work that you do?
Helping people. Sometimes that is sending them the materials they requested and sometimes it is just answering their questions. It’s rewarding to know that something I’ve done has benefited them in their job.

What one thing would you change about your job if you could?
I would like to have more face-to-face contact with the borrowers. I’d like to have more of them visit our library, or I’d like to go to visit their classrooms or attend more conferences and workshops so I could meet them. It’s fun to get to know someone through the emails or phone conversations and then to meet them and actually put a face with their name.

If you could change jobs with one other person at TCALL, whose job would it be and why?
I don’t think I would like to completely change jobs with anyone at TCALL, but there are parts of other peoples’ jobs that I would enjoy doing for awhile. My job requires a broad knowledge of what is going on in adult education, what the teachers and administrators need to do their jobs, and what exactly is available in our library to fill that need. Sometimes what other staff are doing could help me do a better job in answering questions or in providing suggestions for other materials to send out, but I’d miss the library if I left it completely.

We’ve heard that you’ve just returned from a trip to Italy? Can you tell us about that?
My church was taking a group to Italy and leaving on my birthday so I decided that would be a great gift. We had ten days to visit Rome, Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast, Florence, Pisa, and Venice. That is definitely not long enough to see everything! The places we saw were so full of history; the fact that we were standing in places that were so old was just unbelievable. I’d look at the statues and realize that I was standing where Michelangelo or other famous artists had stood. It was overwhelming. The Italian people were great. It was fun trying to ask for directions or to order food when they spoke no more English than I did Italian!

Where would you like to travel to next?
I’d like to go to Germany. My great-great-grandfather came from Baden in 1846, and I’d like to go to that area and see if anyone with the family name is still there and see if I can find any mention of him in the old church records. However, since I’ve lived my entire life in Texas, a trip to any country or even another state would be an event.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about?
Other than the Italy trip, the most exciting birthday present I’ve had was skydiving. That was a present from my son and daughter a couple of years ago. Birthdays aren’t so bad as long as there’s something new to do.