Continuing the series about getting to know our lovely colleagues, next up are ‘Father of the Library’ Sean & Lynn…
If you’d like to submit your answers to the Q+A, fill out the template and send it to library.innovation@sussex.ac.uk, or get in touch with the Blog admins – Kate, Kerry & Sam…
We’d like to include a brief biography before the Q+A. To help with this, could you tell us, in a couple of sentences, where you’re from, where you live now, and a little bit about your working life so far…
It is a standing joke in the Frontline Services Office that I don’t like travelling out of Sussex, let alone Brighton. Well this is true, it has taken my ancestors 500 years to move fifteen miles. I currently live at Fiveways.
I started working at the University as part of Student Records in October 1982, and moved over to the Library in September 1983. My aim is to work beyond 19 December 2020 so I can become the record holder of the longest serving member of Library staff ever, taking over from Adrian Peasgood. I am currently the longest serving member of current Library staff.
What’s your favourite part of the library?
Book stack…!
Tell us about your journey into work.
I cycle very fast up and down the Lewes Road from Fiveways. Often I get overtaken by Jane (the Librarian), sometimes by Ron on his ‘lectric bicycle and even by the Vice Chancellor! Also Maria Menezes bangs on the window of the 25 bus hoping to knock me off. However, going home I usually get to Lewes Road Sainsbury’s before the 25 bus. I’m dead fast! And I never wear any wet-weather gear: just a brown leather jacket.
What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen or heard in the library?
‘Sean-ness’ the definition. Also, The snake, the chickens and Stilts.
I was working with Robert Howes and Fiona Courage one Comic relief Day. A student came into the Library on stilts on Comic Relief Day having walked up the steps and manoeuvred through the entrance area and into the main Library. Seeing ‘Little Robert’ telling this chap that stilts were not allowed and that he could not collect money in the Library was classic.
I was so surprised on my fiftieth birthday that the Library had a collection and brought me a brick. A past Library colleague, Heather organised this – I think she was my third or fourth Work-Wife. I really cannot remember as I’ve had so many and it becomes hard to keep count. We later had a falling out and a public Library divorce.
Which book/film/album changed your life?
The Morris Tradition. I wrote it and is probably one of the most borrowed books in this Library. It’s always being used for training purposes.
What is the worst job you’ve ever done? (Careful…)
Believe it or not, I had jobs before I started working at the Library. For a while I worked at the Co-op dairy in Islingward Road. Milk can be very smelly!
What do you feel most proud of, in your work here?
The list is endless, but here are a few things:
Back when Debs was here and the Library was reorganised, I was responsible (with others contributing) in moving all the bookstock around to make it a more sensible order: A starting on the top floor and Z finishing on the ground floor. Before that, it was more of a jumble with shelfmark bookstack located all over the library in areas where they just fitted. M was next to T and A was next to Z etc. I was so amazed when they all fitted!
Another would be working with Tim Haillay (and with others) in reclassifying the bookstock. In the 1960s, the then Librarian allowed subject Librarians devise their own classification schemes with the full knowledge that many had flaws and would need significant work to rectify later. Tim and I (and others) have been working on this during the last few years and have been reclassifying about 10,000 books a year. This takes a lot of organising and moving books. You will all like to know that this work will not be completed before Tim or I retire, so somebody else needs to step up/in the next few years and take this on!
Gaining 13 compliance-pluses in the 2018 CSE Assessment.
It’s the collaboration that makes the Library work so well.
If you could go back in time, where would you go?
Back to 1983 when I started working here and I could do it all again. I was thin, had lots of hair, men wore ties to work and I was only 21. This is a photograph of me at 50, so you get the idea!
How do you relax?
One goes Morris Dancing! I look forward to my side’s annual meet up with Richard’s!
What keeps you awake at night?
It was ‘would my son ever get a job!’. He has one now, so I will have to think of something else.
Who would play you in the film of your life?
Me of course! Has anyone seen my acting debut in the film Shelving the books? Or perhaps the Frontline Services Snowman.
We’d like to include a brief biography before the Q+A. To help with this, could you tell us, in a couple of sentences, where you’re from, where you live now, and a little bit about your working life so far…
Well I was born in Edgbaston, spent most of my early years in a little town called Stourbridge, before moving to Ipswich to study TV Graphic Design, then on to London. I was there for about 12 years where I worked in TV / Film industries, before moving to Brighton with my partner and step-daughter.
I even got a few entries on IMBD:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0673560/
What’s your favourite part of the library?
The side that overlooks Stanmer Park. It’s so lovely to be able to sit and read with the view of trees to look out on. Love it.
Tell us about your journey into work.
In the winter months, I’m lucky enough to get a lift in from my lovely other half, as she drives past campus on her way to work.
As soon as it starts to warm up a bit the motorbike comes out.
A perfect way to blow away the cobwebs.
What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen or heard in the library?
This is a bit random but it’s “Why does the Barlow Room smell of old biscuits?”
Which book/film/album changed your life?
In my teen, early 20’s I was a huge fan of any film that went through the doors of Industrial Light and Magic. Spending most Saturday’s flicking through Cinefex and Fangoria magazines and watching VHS’s (80’s) or DVD’s (90’s) picked up from the local video store. There was nothing better than being able to roam the aisles of video cases as you read the covers, deciding what to borrow for the evening. Netflix just isn’t the same….
What is the worst job you’ve ever done? (Careful…)
Probably working in John Lewis canteen, whilst studying in Ipswich. Very bad uniforms, which is where I probably get my phobia of wearing skirts from.
What do you feel most proud of, in your work here?
I love the interaction with students and hopefully being able to make a difference to their day is great.
I have been lucky enough to work in a few different areas within the Library including Collection Development, The Keep and Learning and Teaching teams. I particularly enjoy helping to make library and archival material more accessible (who doesn’t like a spreadsheet).
This is what I loved so much about my previous role at the Beeb working in the Archives. Transferring analogue and digital material, such as vinyl, video tape, 16 and 35mm film to file formats. Oh and watching lots of telly. The nice thing about library and archive work is every day I come across material that I want to investigate further.
Oh and the odd Dalek.
If you could go back in time, where would you go?
If I could time travel, I would love to go back through my family tree, visiting the different families and locations through the centuries. Or back to the Jurassic period or maybe the first moon landing…
How do you relax?
I love nothing better than a trip to the cinema or a long country walk followed by a pub lunch with friends and family.
What keeps you awake at night?
That’s easy, our two cats, Cleo and Sapphire. They like to walk across your head at about 5am in the morning.
This seems to be a recurring theme.
Who would play you in the film of your life?
When I had longer hair, I used to get told I looked a bit like Julia Bradbury (from Countryfile), so maybe her.