Please join us in welcoming Jessica Miller (she/her) to the William H. Hannon Library! Jessica is our new receiving assistant. In order to get to know Jessica a little better, we asked her a few questions about coming to Loyola Marymount University.
Tell us a little about yourself and the work you’re doing for the library?
I’m originally from Arizona but I mostly grew up in Colorado, and I attended the University of Colorado to study classics and art history as an undergrad. I like writing, reading, cooking, and eating in my free time! I just recently started here as the new receiving assistant in the acquisitions and collection development department, so I’m helping the team here with receiving shipments from vendors, accepting gifts and donations, receiving serials, and supervising our student workers.
What type of work were you doing before this job?
I was working at the University of Colorado Boulder in Norlin Library as their general collections preservation coordinator! I coordinated book repair and commercial rebinding for circulating collections and periodicals, supervised student workers, and assisted our conservator with any special projects she needed staff assistance with. I started working there as a student worker and moved into a staff position after I graduated!
You recently moved here to L.A. How has the transition gone and what are you most excited about doing?
The transition wasn’t too bad. My partner lived in NoHo for two years before I moved out to join him, so I was visiting a lot before I officially moved. During my visits we went to concerts at the Greek, hiked in Griffith Park, went to the Getty Villa and the beach, and explored NoHo quite a bit. I’m very excited to check out the museums in the area and try all kinds of new food. I’m also looking forward to visiting the beach again, although I haven’t had a chance to since the move. Hopefully soon!
What are your professional goals?
I would really love to continue working in libraries. I’m really interested in conservation of cultural heritage, something I got a taste of in my last job, but I’m also considering pursuing an MLIS.
We have to ask: what have you been reading lately? Anything you recommend?
Lately I’ve been reading short stories by Shirley Jackson and Flannery O’Connor. Especially since fall is right around the corner, if anyone is looking for something spooky and unsettling to read, Shirley Jackson is one of my all-time favorite authors. In the collection of hers I just finished “The Summer People” was my favorite story—a great end-of-summer read!
The receiving assistant serves as the point person to manage all new materials as they arrive at the library. Considering we add approximately 15,000 new books to our collection each year, you can imagine how essential Jessica’s role is to daily operations. Thank you, Jessica!