Staff Profile

Valerie Evans has seen many changes in JPL in her 34 years of service. She is quiet, modest, and certainly a Southern lady.

Q:  You began working as a librarian at Regency Square Branch in 1979.  Where have you worked during these 34 years?

A:  I worked in "pre-Charles Webb Wesconnett Branch" in the old Main Library.  CW was being planned in an office on the third floor. From the early 1980's through early 1990's I worked in the old business department on the first floor.  It was called Business, Science and Industry and later named Business Science and Documents.  This area included business reference, newspaper indexing and run-of-the-mill library work.  Later I transferred to Literature and History, then Periodicals--all in the old Main Library.  Later I worked in Non-fiction in the new Main Library, and now I am a librarian at Willowbranch.

Q:  Having seen JPL change from a Dewey Decimal system collection typed out on 3"x5" cards and correspondence hammered out on typewriters to the technology we use today, how did employees initially address this huge change?

A:  The changes were good for customers and staffs but a struggle for non-techies.  After finally absorbing the knowledge, it was obviously a good move in the right direction.  Technology made indexing FTU a breeze for librarians.  Instead of typing 3x5 cards, we only had to type the headlines into the computer.  During that time,  Infotrac made its appearance and that made searching for periodical information easy for customers.  I do feel it was a big undertaking for library staff to walk customers through the procedures on new technology.  E-mail made life much easier because employees didn't have to climb steps or use elevators to talk to each other.

Q:  Dress codes have changed dramatically over the years at JPL, along with society's many social changes.  Can you tell us something about that?

A:  JPL dress codes thankfully allowed for the uniformity of staffs' appearance but favored personal style.  Staff was counseled if they did not adhere to dress codes.  Hose was required for women; no round neck shirts; no slogans or statements on clothing and no T-shirts.

Q:  What other changes in JPL and the community have you seen that made a big impression on you?

A:  The technology that we now use does not allow for many mistakes.  It also helps customers retrieve more information.  The services the library provides allows a library visit to operate as smoothly as a trip to a store.

Q: Do you have a favorite author or two and care to share what appeals to you about their writing?

A:  I don't have a favorite author, but I love mysteries--from purely fictitious stories to actual events.