In 1999 I was hired as the director of Daniel A. Reed Library to replace the previous director, Susan P. Besemer, who was retiring. At that time Dennis Hefner was SUNY Fredonia President, Una Mae Reck was Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Leonard Faulk was Associate Vice President for Curriculum and Academic Support . Paul Schwartz, Dean of Arts and Humanities, was chair of the search committee that hired me. I interviewed in April and May, and then started working in Fredonia on September 1st 1999.
In June I was asked to come to Fredonia to help interview two external candidates for the position of Associate Vice President for Information Technology. I participated in two interviews, but was not impressed with either candidate. A short time later, VPAA Reck offered me the position of Director of Reed Library and Associate VP for Information Technology. I declined, explaining that both areas had significant concerns that one person could not solve simultaneously. In a discussion, I argued that Reed Library and Information Technology Services both needed independent leadership.
Environmental Scan of Reed Library Circa 1999
I found the physical facility to be superior to most SUNY libraries in terms of maintenance, yet severely lacking when it came to technology infrastructure. The journal collection was small, and I was struck by the lack of journals in support of the education program. Reed Library finances were skewed by the amount of money, about one third of the budget, required to run the library management system.
The librarians were skilled in the profession, but it seemed as if it had been a great while since they had exchanged ideas with librarians from other institutions. The library clerical employees were top notch, good at providing patron service and technical services operations. Teaching faculty were friendly, but were by and large absent from the library, as were students.
Reed Library Today:
I am pleased with the progress that has been made in Reed Library over the past decade. Reed has gone from a sleepy place where it was said, "you could shoot a cannon in here and no one would notice," to a vibrant intellectual hub. The Reed Library Team has faced many challenges while continuously improving the collections, instructional programs, technology, services and facility. Any progress noted in Reed over the last decade is the result of a team effort. My thanks go to all the fine faculty, staff and students who work in Daniel A. Reed Library.