Kate D. Hickey is Dean and University Librarian at Elon University’s Carol Grotnes Belk Library in Elon, NC.  Kate has been an ACRL member since 1985 and is your ACRL member of the week.

1. Describe yourself in three words:Aging but enthusiastic!

2. What are you reading right now? I’m reading my book club’s June selection, We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For by Alice Walker, in print; listening to Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell in the car; and enjoying American Lion by Jon Meacham on my brand-new Kindle.  And I always have a mystery novel at my bedside.

3. Describe ACRL in three words: Perfect for networking.

4. Why did you join ACRL? I first joined ACRL as a member of the Community and Junior College Library Section (CJCLS) in the 1980’s – it was such a dynamic and friendly group with lots of leadership opportunities. I quickly learned that the biennial ACRL conferences are the best for both directors and front line librarians. I’ve been hooked ever since! For the past 13 years, membership in the College Libraries Section and participation in its mentoring program have been equally rewarding.

5. What do you value about academic or research librarianship? The wonderful variety of people I see and learn from every day – students, faculty, staff, my colleagues in Elon’s library, and my colleagues in librarianship throughout the land – ensure that no two days are ever alike. Occasionally I get frustrated but never bored!

6. In your own words: One of the challenges facing academe is recognizing the reality that we have moved from a print-based to an electronic-based knowledge system but our universities and our libraries often have not changed accordingly.  Most of us are still in the process of retooling our processes, personnel and budgets to reflect this reality.  I fear we will become anachronistic if we fail to take advantage of the opportunities we have as technology leaders on our campuses.  Fortunately, academic libraries of all sizes are creatively facing these challenges and helping the rest of us move forward as well.  Perhaps this is the very best thing about librarianship – its culture of sharing and collaboration.