The Employee Spotlight Series highlights the staff at the Fordham University Libraries. In each post we will introduce you to our fantastic colleagues. In this edition, we meet recent hires Johnathan and Hannah, who work at Quinn Library and Walsh Library, respectively.

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Johnathan Longo

What is your job title and which department do you work for?

My role is Circulation Support Staff in the Circulation Department at Quinn Library.

How long have you been in this role?

It’s been seven months!

Could you briefly describe what you do in your role at the library?

A lot of it is managing the student workers. I think we have 37 of them this semester. So I assign projects each night, and get their projects ready and organized. Aside from that, it’s a lot of forward-facing work at the desk everyday, and some back-end stuff. The big thing right now is an inventory project. We’re going through every single book in QuinnX.

What’s the last great book you read?

It’s probably very popular right now: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I’ve wanted to read it for a long time. It was excellent, I loved it. 

What did you like about the book?

It’s a page-turner for sure. It’s compelling. A kind of coming-of-age story. I also like the New York setting, there’s a tragedy that happens at the MET, they talk about different neighborhoods…I went to the MET the day after I finished it.

Have you seen the movie?

Not yet. I would like to, although it got terrible reviews. But I’ll still see it!

What are you listening to lately?

I listen to a lot of podcasts. My favorite is Reply All. It’s a show about the internet, technology, and how people use technology. It’s really fun, I love it. I also listen to a lot of science podcasts, story-based ones like This American Life, and lately I’ve been listening to more pop-culture related ones. I’m a big gamer, so also video game stuff. As for music, I’m listening to a group called Young Fathers; they’re a hip-hop/rap/pop combo. 

Favorite movie based on a book?

The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I’ve seen them so many times. I love the movies, but I couldn’t get through the books until this past year. Usually I like the other way around, but for this, having watched the movies first and then going to the books, it was fun. The first movie is my favorite of the series.

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Hannah Herrlich

What is your job title and which department do you work for?

My job is Access Services and Online Learning Support Staff in the Circulation Department at Walsh Library.

How long have you been in this role?

Since August 20th, 2019

Could you briefly describe what you do in your role at the library?

I am on the circulation support staff team which means that we oversee everything from user support, to inventory and stack maintenance, holds and reserves, and everything in between. I am also involved with a great team at Lincoln Center to become more active in the online distance learning community.

What is your favorite thing about the library so far?

Beyond Walsh’s massive collection, I really enjoy the people that I work with and the students that we assist on a daily basis. It is a great atmosphere!

What’s the last great book you read?

I usually dabble between textbooks for school and cheesy mystery thriller novels, but Saga by Brian K. Vaughan, which is a graphic novel, is absolutely fantastic. The story is still being written and I cannot wait to find out how it ends.

Who (or what) inspires you?

I’m inspired by so many women in my life: my mom, my sisters, my grandma – they are all incredible.

What are you listening to lately?

I might be going through a bit of a punk phase because the Dead Kennedys have been surfacing on my Spotify a lot. I am also going to see two concerts in the upcoming months – Hanggai, which is a Mongolian punk/folk group and Infected Mushroom, which is an Israeli psytrance duo. I also love listening to the Stuff You Should Know podcast when I’m up in the stacks!

 What are you most looking forward to working on at the library this year?

We have some really exciting upcoming plans this semester for better engaging with the online distance learning community. This is a large group of students and it is important to reach out to them and ensure that they have the same amount of resources and services available to them, even if they don’t have access to our physical library space.

If you could tell students one thing about the library, what would it be?

I would tell the students to not be afraid to ask us for assistance. Whether they are looking for a book, or looking for a printer- we are here to help them!