Interview with Ann Eads Brown, July 3, 2013

Partial Transcript: In 1980, I was put in charge of the relabeling project... the Computer Center generated all the spine labels and the labels that went in the books, I think there were four labels per book maybe, and I had a bunch of student assistants who did a lot of the work...

Segment Synopsis: Ann talks about her early life, coming to Bowling Green, and her first job in the WKU Library.

Keywords: ATS operators; Book Processing; Card Catalog; Cataloging; Checkers; Computer Center; Dropping the cards; Earl Wassom; Eunice Wells, former Head of Technical Services; Library Automation; Library of Congress Classification System; Louisville, KY; Operation Reclass; Proofreaders; Relabeling; Sally Ann Koenig Strickler

Subjects: Academic Libraries Ann Eads Brown, 1941- Cataloging Library Technical Services Oral History Western Kentucky University Libraries

Partial Transcript: It's a very busy area, and we could get, we had a list what we could choose from, but if we wanted something that wasn't on that list we could also request that, and they would get it for us if they could.

Segment Synopsis: Ann reminisces about former colleagues and some favorite projects.

Keywords: Brian Coutts; John Cudd - former Humanities librarian; Judith Morton - Cataloging Librarian; Margie Helm; McNaughton Leisure Book Collection; Nada Durham; Paul Riley - Serials Librarian; Sally Ann Koenig Strickler; Sarah Johnson; Sarah Tyler - former Director of WKU Libraries; Weeding library collections

Subjects: Academic Libraries Ann Eads Brown, 1941- Cataloging Library Technical Services Oral History Western Kentucky University Libraries

Partial Transcript: In the beginning, when I first came, when I first started cataloging, we had the huge National Union Catalog, where we had to search, and you'd have to take a magnifying glass to read it.

Segment Synopsis: Ann talks about the march of technology through Technical Services.

Keywords: Computers in libraries; Connie Foster; Flex Time; Library schools - accreditation; Master of Library Science; National Union Catalog; OCLC; Online Catalogs; Peabody College; Shared terminals; Subject Headings; Telephone party lines; Telephone sharing; University of Kentucky; Voyager, NOTIS

Subjects: Academic Libraries Ann Eads Brown, 1941- Cataloging Library Technical Services Oral History Western Kentucky University Libraries

Partial Transcript: We thought it was a great day when the staff downstairs got their individual computers, instead of sharing computers that were kind of out in the middle of the floor, signing up, and making sure that you were there when you were supposed to be.

Segment Synopsis: Changes in the building's structure and function.

Keywords: Career Services; Centralizing reference services; Computer games; Computer training; Cravens library; Graduate Center; Peggy Wright; Rose Davis; Solitaire - card game; Subject Librarians; VPAL

Subjects: Academic Libraries Ann Eads Brown, 1941- Cataloging Library Technical Services Oral History Western Kentucky University Libraries

Partial Transcript: I can remember, we always dressed up at Halloween, and Juanita had a Big Bird costume that she used to wear.

Segment Synopsis: Recounts some of the fun events the library staff perpetrated, and social interaction in general.

Keywords: AIDS; Bibliographic Access; Big Bird; Broadway the Clown; Crystal Bowling; David Runner; Doris Hardcastle; Effects of technology on social patterns; Halloween parties; Helm Library - Artillery range; Juanita Farnsley; Library workspaces; Miss Piggy; Public Services; Reg Laswell; ROTC; Social interaction; Technical Services

Subjects: Academic Libraries Ann Eads Brown, 1941- Cataloging Library Technical Services Oral History Western Kentucky University Libraries