Every year, in April we celebrating the National Library Month and our Library Workers that are making a big difference in academic higher education and long-life learning. This is a story of one of the FNU “Long-Time Librarian” that applied to an ongoing, enthusiastic, and self-motivated person who pursuits knowledge for either personal or professional reasons. Therefore, this ‘exceptional lady’ not only enhances social inclusion, active citizenship, and personal development, but also self-sustainability, rather than competitiveness and employability. She is Florida National University South Campus Resource Room Librarian. Martha Rodriguez is a Campus Veteran who dedicated more than two decades [to be correct: exactly 23 years!] to serve students and faculty in the Library. She knows every book location by heard. Martha’s favorite area of work is Cataloging. Also Martha loves to decorate Library for various outreach programs. She does it all: a mother who runs the family, a reliable employee who may stay as long as needed; and a hard working student that obtains her Master’s Degree in Library Information Sciences from University of Puerto Rico. So far, she already completed Media Specialist Certificate requirements.
So we asked Martha, why Library work? What is keeping you going for twenty-three years? The answer was simple: the satisfaction to help students with their continuing education – “for every assignment is a right book to get information.” Through the years, there are many changes in the Library, and changes are good because it is always the next step that makes things better. She enjoys the teamwork with nice and pleasant staff and always finds the way on how to help other people around from students to co-workers. The Florida National University has a special place in her heart. Martha is a role model to her children. Education is important in Rodrigues’ family – Celeste graduated with AA and AS degrees from FNU as a Summa Cum Laude student.
Martha soon will to be an Academic Librarian with a capital “L.” A large part of her job as a Campus Librarian is to teach students about information. This is sometimes called Information Literacy (IL). Martha successfully does both working on her continuing professional education and training her staff. Does not matter that South Campus has a small-size Library, Martha makes everybody welcomed in a small-size cozy space. At the current time, the South Campus Resource Room team of Lourdes, Mariann, and Lis led by Martha for student success.
Books do not make the Library, people do! The old-fashion Library profession is especially important in the 21st century when digital literacy is running the world! This month we want to acknowledge Maria Elena de la Cruz, the Hialeah Campus Librarian of 16-year of work at the FNU Library; Anolan Alonso, Librarian at the FNU Library of almost 7 years; Michelle Palacios, the FNU Library Assistant for more than 6 years; Arleen Carrion, Ingrid Enriquez, Justin Pereira, Jessenia Molinares, Lourdes Portuondo Palomino, and Ida Tomshinsky. Of course, we could not make it without our FWS teamwork – Carlos, Mariann, and Lis! Remember, “You have to believe – to achieve!”
Ida Tomshinsky, Library Director
itomshinsky@fnu.edu
