Tucker, Susan (staff), March 26, 2001

Oral history interview with Susan Tucker, Middlebury College Reference Librarian at Starr Library. Interview was conducted by Bob Buckeye.

Middlebury librarian for 25 years (01:07); Assisting patrons, moving from books to computer screens (02:07); Info easier to obtain via web (04:28); function of reference librarian-student questions decreased in last 15 years-peaked in 1980s (08:10); user-friendly software (10:05); collection development big part of job (11:45); need for recognizing accurate info on web (12:35); comparing library from present to 25 years ago (13:00); no reference dept in 1976 (13:50); summer language school less emphasized (15:30): present projects with other departments exciting (17:14); most important fact of job unchanged since 1976, helping people use library (19:36); research takes less time now (20:10); students need to learn how to search (23:10); anticipating projects as manager (25:10); liaisons to departments (27:03); website work is new-writing guides, designing pages (28:08); she enjoys reference work (29:10); personnel problems rare (30:37); reference work will accelerate in future (31:20); distance learning (35:24); start of computers on campus (36:52); education methods to change in future- remote teaching (38:06); Champlain College and distance learning-global reference librarian services (39:59); copyright (40:50); college was a good college when she attended, diverse now (43:26); achievements under her direction-map collection, science library expansion and move, web work (46:23).