The UT Libraries is one of the largest global lenders in the world. How do those materials make it from here to there, there to here, then back again? Resource Delivery Librarian Kristin Walker knows. Let’s find out more about her work and her world.
What’s your title, and what do you do for the Libraries?
Kristin Walker: Head of Resource Delivery for Interlibrary Services. I manage the department that includes Interlibrary Loan, Get a Scan and Remote Delivery. We borrow and scan research materials for the UT Austin community. Our department fills in gaps within the UT Libraries’ collections and we are able to obtain almost everything for our users. We also ship books to graduate students and faculty that are in remote locations, provide scans for faculty to use in their course materials and we digitize UT Austin dissertations and theses.
What motivates you to wake up and go to work?
KW: I am motivated by knowing that so many UT Austin researchers depend on our department to supply them with the critical materials needed to complete their projects. It feels good to know that we can help them or make things easier in some small way.
What are you most proud of in your job?
KW: I am most proud when Interlibrary Services is mentioned as one of the most valuable services provided by the UT Libraries.
ILS seems to be a bit of a quiet giant. How important is your department?
KW: Interlibrary loan is considered a critical library service to supplement library collections. No library owns every book or journal, so libraries share their collections with each other. A lot of what we do is behind the scenes, but it is all very necessary to the UT Austin community. It may seem like a mysterious process from the outside, but we use a mix of automation, research and a high level of staff training to make our work seamless to our users.
What has been your best experience at the Libraries?
KW: The best part of working at the Libraries is the people you interact with on a daily basis. My department interacts in some way with almost every other department in the Libraries and this has given me a wholistic insight as to how all of the parts work together.
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
KW: I love K-Dramas (Korean TV shows) and I’m learning Korean on Duolingo.
Dogs or cats?
KW: Cats! I currently have two black cats.
Favorite book, movie or album?
KW: Favorite Book: The Thought Gang by Tibor Fischer ISBN: 978-0684830797
Favorite Movie: Wings of Desire; Director Wim Wenders
Favorite Album: Aladdin Sane by David Bowie
Cook at home, or go out for dinner? What and/or where?
KW: I usually cook at home. I attempt a lot of Asian inspired recipes, but I also make simple soups and tray bakes.
What’s the future hold?
KW: There is much more emphasis on digital collections, open access and accessibility as they apply to interlibrary loan and document delivery. Long term, I see copyright laws being revised and modernized to account for digital items.