SPSU Magazine: What are you most
I’m also very proud of the full
proud of having accomplished during
library staff. Yongli Ma has been
Joyce Mills?
your years at SPSU?
appointed interim library director, and
Dr. Mills: In 1991, I published a
Dr. Mills: Well, there have been a
she has been with me since 1994, a year
family genealogy, “Two Trees Standing,”
lot of milestones over the years, such
after I was named director. People work
and it is time to update it and perhaps
as bringing in PALS [library software],
very hard here. Customer service is No.
write my own autobiography. There
followed by GALILEO [GeorgiA LIbrary
1, and you have to know the databases
will also be more international travel
LEarning Online, an online library portal
inside and out. You can’t fake it. Many of
and museum hopping. Together with
initiative of the Board of Regents of
us have been here a long time. We’re
my hobbies [she’s a self-described
the University System of Georgia for
like a family. [In fact, six of the nine staff
book autograph hound and has a
access to authoritative, subscription-
members who reported to Dr. Mills
collection of dolls], I’ll have plenty to
only information unavailable through
worked with her for more than 10 years,
do in retirement. I’ve enjoyed my time
free search engines or Web directories].
a testament to her gentle-yet-firm
at Southern Poly, but I’m also looking
We also implemented e-Reserves [a
leadership.] I’m also pleased about
forward to this phase— I feel like my
collection of electronic documents such
having recently added a catalog/archives/
life has been blessed!
as journal articles, sample tests, and
interlibrary loan librarian [Erin Grant]
syllabi that instructors make available
to the staff.
SPSU Magazine: So what’s next for
to students] and expanded the library computer lab from 10 workstations to
SPSU Magazine: I see you’ve taught
more than 60. I want to give credit
college courses as well as managed
to Li Chen, our talented systems
public and college libraries.
librarian since 2000, for doing the
Dr. Mills: Yes, after I left the
research needed to bring about these
American School in London, I taught
changes. In 2010, she added a live,
school librarianship at Atlanta
online chat feature, Ask A Librarian
University [1973-86]. Then I was given
[http://www.spsu.edu/library/ask.htm],
an opportunity to manage the West
that is very popular.
Hunter Branch of the Atlanta-Fulton
Public Library, where I also served as
I’m very proud that we rolled out The
Hive Search in 2012. It’s a Google-like
the weekend librarian in the archives and
search engine on the library’s homepage
special collections at the main branch. And
[http://www.spsu.edu/library/] that
automation was upon us — I spearheaded
searches books, journals, magazines,
the barcoding and automation of the
and images. Later, our reference
collection there at West Hunter
librarian, Amy Coughenour, customized
[1986-90].
The Hive for the Johnson Library, and the Reference department teaches
SPSU Magazine: You also have three
classes that inform students and
advanced degrees.
faculty of the nuances of the hundreds
Dr. Mills: I received a Master’s in
of databases with free access. They
Library Science in 1969 from the School
answer students’ questions and have
of Library Science at the University
found patrons to be very appreciative of
of Wisconsin [Madison], a specialist
this service.
degree, the Diploma in Advanced
Studies in Librarianship [DASL,1981],
Art professors and students now
have online access to our Bentley Art
from Emory University, and a Ph.D.
Collection with full descriptions and
[1987] from the School of Library and
images. The response has been just
Information Studies at Florida State
phenomenal.
University (Tallahassee). Southern Polytechnic State University
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