Nate Poell and Ardie Grimes are two new faces bringing their knowledge and expertise to Baker University’s Collins Library this academic year.
Director of Library Services Kay Bradt is happy with the new staff members.
“Several of the applicants we had were top notch,” said Bradt. “We were really pleased to get our top pick.”
Poell was a grant specialist at the University of Kansas and is now the technical services librarian at Baker.
Poell said his duties include maintaining the library catalog and teaching LA 101 students basic library search techniques.
Joanna Schafer, a Baker nursing school student who worked in the library last year, said keeping the catalog in order was vital to library organization.
“I know that if the books weren’t cataloged right in the specific system and in order, then it is difficult for the students to find the books,” she said. “It is obviously a very important and needed job.”
Poell said another responsibility is to go through the Bishop Quayle Bible Collection and create a collection guide.
Bradt said Poell is taking Jan Boyd’s former position. Boyd retired last year.
Grimes, another new employee will be handling all of the interlibrary borrowing.
Formerly, the interlibrary loan process was comprised of both lending and borrowing, but this year it has been separated into two sections.
“We didn’t have enough hours to get interlibrary loans done in one position,” Bradt said.
Grimes will also be teaching a genealogy workshop in Assistant Professor of History John Richards’ historical research methods class.
Grimes has about 30 years of experience in libraries. Before coming to Baker, she worked in public libraries in Nebraska.
“I love it here,” she said. “For me, a lot of it is being in the library. I thrive in that environment.”
Grimes’ position is not permanent. Interlibrary Loan Assistant Jo Schaecher is expected to take over both branches next fall.