By Maureen “Moe” Weinman
Introduction:
I started in my role as the Special Collections Librarian at SUNY Geneseo’s Milne Library in the summer of 2025. Milne Library had recently reopened after a full-scale renovation on the heels of COVID prompting a nearly five-year dislocation of library resources and services. It was during this period of reconstruction that my predecessor chose to retire after over 20 years of dedicated service to the college. The search for her replacement was delayed until the library renovation was completed. This resulted in a nearly two-year vacancy and a hefty backlog of unprocessed materials. Prior to my start as the Special Collections Librarian, I worked in a part-time capacity at Milne Library for one year. While I was initially hired to provide general reference support, it quickly became apparent that the unstaffed College Archives and Special Collections was where my help was needed most. Welcoming the opportunity to learn new skills, I threw myself into the work and quickly developed a passion for archival work. One year later, after successfully tackling the grueling interview process, I was in a full-time, tenure-track faculty position; a first for myself and the Special Collections Librarian position at Milne Library. I was relieved to let go of the additional part-time librarian position I’d been working in tandem with the one at Milne Library but knew I had a substantial amount of work ahead of me.
Implementing Changes and Updates:
With the library’s long-awaited reopening came renewed interest in the College Archives and Special Collections, due in part to the new climate controlled archival space and workroom. This took the form of increased access, instruction, and tour requests from students and faculty members as well as a flurry of research inquiries from the local community at large. I quickly realized new policies, procedures, and workflows were necessary to field this influx. My first semester, I discontinued the drop-in service model option and began requiring appointments for all access requests and research consultations pertaining to the College Archives and Special Collections. This made for a significantly more manageable schedule and reduced some of the pressure as I familiarized myself with the collection. My supervisor and colleagues fully supported this pivot.
To streamline instruction requests, I created an online form for faculty members interested in incorporating archival materials into their courses. This form gathers pertinent information about the prospective session while setting faculty expectations concerning minimal notice for instruction requests and session timeframes. For assessment, I created a five-question survey for faculty to complete following each instruction session. In addition to professional development, this online form has been useful in tracking instruction statistics for annual reports.
Updates to Milne Library’s website and research guide were imperative for relaying accurate information about archival access, policies, and procedures. When I started in my full-time role, these modes still contained several holdovers from the library’s five-year dislocation including obsolete contact information and location details. Accurate information was needed to support the quasi-relaunch of the College Archives and Special Collections after remaining somewhat dormant in previous years. This involved combing the library’s website and research guide for outdated information and working with Milne Library’s Web and Systems Administrator to implement the necessary changes. This was later followed by an extensive rework of the College Archives and Special Collections webpage to better support user experience and access.
Setting Boundaries:
Navigating when to say “no” or “not right now” was a challenging lesson throughout my first year. After leading an overwhelming amount of instruction sessions in my first semester, I imposed a cap on the number of sessions I offered in the next semester. While a subset of my job responsibilities, instruction really monopolized my time and energy that first semester. Putting a reasonable limit on instruction sessions was a helpful solution that enabled me to focus on other duties like collections development and preservation. This quota can change from semester to semester, depending on workload and schedule.
Facilitating research appointments is an essential component of my position. These consultations are akin to hosting a guest, often involving a great deal of logistics not limited to parking arrangements, necessary accommodation, and preliminary research. I’ve found it wise to have a designated end time to these appointments lest they fill the entire day. Forewarning ambitious researchers that they may need to schedule additional appointments in the future to continue their research is also advised.
I am very fortunate to have the option to telecommute one day per week, which has been vital for both my productivity and mental health. While most days I require access to the physical archives, designating one day off campus to focus on scholarship, professional development, writing, and other tasks that are best done with limited interruption has been ideal. If you are fortunate enough to have this option, I highly recommend taking advantage of the opportunities it offers!
Establishing Manageable Goals:
Staring at the mountain of unprocessed materials I inherited was quite daunting during those first few months. To help manage this, I worked with my supervisor to identify realistic short-term and long-term goals for my first year and beyond. These goals were extremely useful in guiding my work and prioritizing various projects. Initial focus areas included more operational elements like policies, procedures, and workflows while long-range goals targeted digitization efforts, experiential learning opportunities for students, and the establishment of new archival collections. It’s important to remember that goals are fluid and subject to change based on job demands and other pressing issues that may arise. For example, persistent HVAC issues within our new climate controlled archival space required attention that leapfrogged other matters. The severity and potentially devastating consequences if gone unfixed put this issue to the top of my list, and other plans were tabled.
Asking for Help:
While not a practice I previously excelled at, asking for help became a means of survival throughout my first year. Weekly check-in meetings with my supervisor served as an excellent onramp for this and proved that approachable leadership cannot be overrated. Librarians and other educators are not ones to gatekeep and, in my experience, have been extremely willing to share their knowledge, expertise, and advice. There were even a few occasions for which I sought the help of my retired predecessor and her predecessor in tackling a research inquiry that had hit a dreaded dead end. Both were more than willing to impart their long-standing knowledge of campus history which solved the mysteries at hand. Working in the niche field of archives, I found special interest groups such as TPS Collective to be an extremely useful source of guidance and support. Developing a network of primary source professionals and seeking out continuing education opportunities became central to my rookie year.
Pausing the Pressure and Predecessor Comparisons:
Feeling a need to conduct yourself in the same manner as your predecessor will only hinder your ability to develop a unique approach to matters.
When succeeding a highly respected, long-time employee, comparison is a slippery slope. While natural to an extent, it’s crucial to not overly fixate on the “shoes to fill.” Feeling a need to conduct yourself in the same manner as your predecessor will only hinder your ability to develop a unique approach to matters. Old habits die hard and a training period of sorts should be expected as others acclimate to the procedural updates and changes you’ve implemented. Faculty, staff, students, and researchers will likely require additional reminders and guidance. While I still have the occasional researcher pining for my predecessor or reminiscing about bygone practices, I’ve found that most users have accepted the changes with time. The respect with which others speak of my predecessor reflects the relationships she forged and the atmosphere she created which inspires me.
To support mental health and career longevity, it’s necessary to pace yourself.
While there is certainly a learning curve to this job, in hindsight, I realized most of the pressure I felt that first year was self-imposed. As my colleagues have kindly reminded me, this is a fast track to burnout. To support mental health and career longevity, it’s necessary to pace yourself. The work will always be there, so cut yourself some slack!
I’ve found freedom in embracing my newness and accepting the reality that knowledge is developed over time not overnight.
This last year has been a whirlwind with several “firsts” including teaching my first undergraduate and graduate instruction sessions, installing my first archival display, and accepting my first donation to the archives. It’s important to acknowledge and celebrate even the smallest of accomplishments. I’ve found freedom in embracing my newness and accepting the reality that knowledge is developed over time not overnight.
I’m thankful to my colleagues and the other archivists, librarians, and educators across the county who have graciously provided me with meaningful guidance and support during my pivotal first year. Their commitment to my success and professional growth has been most uplifting.
Maureen “Moe” Weinman (she/her/hers) is the Special Collections Librarian at the State University of New York at Geneseo’s Milne Library where she provides archival access and instruction to students, faculty, and researchers near and far. She earned her MLIS from the University of Alabama.