New Library Staff

Someone new is watching over the university's archival treasures. As manuscripts and archives librarian, Kathryn (Kathi) Neal is one of the caretakers of the university's archives and San Diego collections.

Neal began working in Special Collections last July after arriving in San Diego from Minnesota, where she was the curator of the Givens Collection of African American Literature for Special Collections and Rare Books at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

Neal earned her undergraduate degree at Carleton College and her masters of arts in journalism and mass communications from the University of Minnesota. Shortly thereafter, she went to work at U.S. ART Magazine as a writer and editor. Then she interviewed someone whose profession made her think twice about the fulfillment she received from her own career.

"I interviewed a film archivist, and I became intrigued with that field of work. The nature of archival work was similar to my own interests, so I went back to school to study to be an archivist," Neal said.

In 1994, Neal received her master's of information and library studies degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and began working as an archivist. She worked as an archival consultant for a retired physician in Minnesota before relocating to Iowa, where she was the director of the African American Women in Iowa Project at the Iowa Women's Archives.

Many things factored into Neal's decision to relocate to San Diego, including the work itself. "The job sounded like it would be a wonderful opportunity to build on a very rich collection of historical materials. It appealed to me because I was interested in returning to a work environment where I could work more fully with archives and personal papers," Neal said.

Neal will also be adding to the library's collection of historical materials, as she will be in charge of soliciting collections and negotiating their transfer to Special Collections. But Neal's responsibilities do not end with just archival material. "I will be assisting with the development of exhibits, cataloging materials, and with grant writing," she said.

Kathi Neal can be reached by e-mail at kneal@mail.sdsu.edu or by phone at (619) 594-6892.

New Outreach/Community Resources Librarian Onboard

Gloria Rhodes did not intend to be a librarian, let alone an outreach/community resources librarian; she wanted to be a school counselor. However, while working on her undergraduate degree at Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina, the university's dean recommended her for a library science fellowship. One and a half years later, she graduated with a master's of library science degree from North Carolina Central University.

Before moving to California, Rhodes was a school librarian in Norfolk, Virginia, for five years. After relocating to the West Coast, she was the young adult services librarian at the Oceanside Public Library for 10 years. "While in Oceanside, I established the Martin Luther King, Jr. special collection of African American books, and I promoted Oceanside Public Library's collection through talks and discussions at schools, churches and community events," Rhodes explained.

After leaving Oceanside, Rhodes was the multicultural outreach librarian at California State University, San Marcos. Her next move was to SDSU last February, when she became the library's outreach/community resources librarian. "I saw this as an opportunity to work at a larger institution and as a way to interact with students, faculty, and the community," Rhodes said.

Her new position at SDSU allows her to do just that. "I'll be meeting with community leaders to develop a rapport with them and to get community resources into the library," Rhodes explained. "I'll be involved in outreach to the faculty and campus-wide outreach to students through Student Affairs and by working with student organizations."

In addition to raising her teen-age son and being active in her church, Rhodes is a part-time historian. "I'm currently working on an oral history project, documenting the African American community in the North County," she said. "I want to document their contributions and explain what brought them there for the youth in that area."

Gloria Rhodes can be reached by e-mail at grhodes@mail.sdsu.edu or by phone at (619) 594-1169.