This is it! I’ve hit the big time. In the field of music librarianship, Indiana University is one of the most respected shops in the world, being at the top of the game in every area–collections, reference, and cataloging. And that’s where it sat for 35 years under the influence of Michael Fling, David Lasocki, Ralph Papakhian and Sue Stancu, Dominique-René De Lerma, and others, luminaries of music library land. Michael, David and Sue are now living in the well-deserved state of retirement. And the late Ralph quite literally lives on through a dedicated tree planted just outside my office windows.

There are some that would say, with the “old guard” gone from this place, IU will lose its stature in the field. There are others that would say the field was starting to move on without them years ago. But, to someone who “grew up” in this legacy, went out into the world under its influence, and has now come back to take up the helm? That’s BS.

Back up to 2004/05, when I was a young (but older than most) undergraduate music education/therapy major at Ohio University. Just finishing my 5th year of a 6-year dual-degree program, I was starting to think about my future. At that point I was certain I was not prepared to be a music therapist, and realizing that I was not truly cut-out for classroom management as a music educator. Enter fate, stage left.

I was walking the hall on the 5th floor of what is now called Robert Glidden Hall, on the phone with my mom–when cell phones were still pretty bulky. I happened to glance to the left at a bulletin board outside of the music history department, and a poster jumped out at me. This poster was advertising the newly re-invigorated music librarianship specialization at Indiana University.

It was at that moment that I had an epiphany. If it weren’t a kind of dark hallway, I would probably have been standing in a beam of light with a chorus of angels singing “ah” in glorious harmony, really. My life’s purpose became crystal clear–I was being called to be music librarian. And yes, I mean “called” in the same sense as a person is called into the service of God. If my mom were alive now, I’m sure you could ask her about that moment, and she would tell you that I said, out of the blue, “mom, I think I know what I’m supposed to do with my life.”

The middle-part of my story is kind of boring, just your standard MLS grad school stuff, so I won’t regale you with the details. Though I applied to several schools (just in case, you know), I did end up at IU, in the music specialization program.

There were 2 of us that year, me and my dear friend Steve. We were the 2nd(?) class in the revamped program, which is also world-renowned. There is hardly a person in the field that didn’t go through the program, or at least attend the infamous music cataloging workshop with Ralph and Sue. In fact, at the 2016 MOUG meeting in Cincinnati, out of over 100 people, I could count the number of people on one hand who were not at least tied to the IU music librarianship program with 2 or fewer degrees of separation. (We actually did a count.)

While at IU, I took advantage of the opportunity to work in as many student jobs as possible: cataloging, acquisitions, and bindery processing at the music library; reference and instruction at the main library; evening supervisor at DePauw; online reference at Walden; cataloging at the ATM. I also served in the student ALA chapter, was a member of InULA, the National AV Project Director for Sigma Alpha Iota, and volunteered with the Modern Language Association as a bibliographer for folklore and ethnomusicology. I excelled extra-curricularly and heard from many that I was going to have no trouble finding a job and being awesome as a librarian.

In fact, it was the faith of Ralph Papakhian that sent me on my way to my first job. I had been unsuccessful in my initial job search, and reached the point where I had to decide whether to renew my lease or move home. At the time, I was still able to work at DePauw and Walden where my work eligibility was not tied to enrollment, and was able to stay an extra semester in acquisitions at IU immediately upon graduation. So, technically I had work indefinitely, and therefore decided to renew my lease for a year and stay in Bloomington.

I had temporarily given up the search, knowing that I was stuck in a year-long contract with my new apartment complex, and planned to get some more experience under my belt before revamping my approach and trying again. So, when the position of Music Librarian opened up at Southern Methodist University the week after my new lease started, I didn’t bother applying.

The hiring manager of that position was, you guessed it, an IU graduate. And, one of the favorites. Imagine Ralph’s astonishment when he called her up and told her she should seriously consider me for the position, only to find out that I hadn’t applied. If you knew Ralph, you knew he didn’t say much, so when he did say something you sure as hell listened. I definitely felt his disappointment as he gave me a talking-to after sticking his neck out for me that way. Needless to say, I immediately applied!

I’m sure it was his endorsement that got me all the way through to the on-campus interview stage. I did well, too, and really thought I could do well in the job. But, as it turned out, I was their second choice, held in reserve in case the person who was actually recruited for the job turned it down. But, they also had their music cataloging position open, and wondered if they could just slide my application over to that pile instead. Sure, why not? Though I didn’t want to just be a cataloger–I wanted to do everything but was most interested in reference, instruction and collection development–it was a job and I needed a job.

After a formality phone interview (I’m fairly certain I was the ONLY qualified candidate), I found I was on my way to Dallas, Texas to begin my new life.

I’m sure more of the details of that era will emerge in future posts, but suffice it to say, fate took me elsewhere. I had been job hunting again for a couple of years, applying to positions which were most appealing (you have that luxury when you have a job), but had been unsuccessful. When you are actively searching though, it is likely that there is a reason, and I had many. In fact, it was when I was at my most desperate that Sue retired from her position as Sound Recordings Cataloger. The timing was right, the stars aligned, and here I am, sitting in her old office, starting a new era of my own life and of the position itself.

Now I get to be the one who cold-calls my colleagues around the US, putting in good words for those who are now MY students. And I intend on paying it forward.

*Today begins my tenure-clock, and I hope that can keep myself in the habit of writing as part of that process. 

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Disclaimer:
All words and images are my own. If they are not, they are cited as such to give proper attribution to the intellectual property owners.
No words or images reflect the opinions or viewpoints of my current, former, or future employers and educational institutions. They are from my own viewpoint.