Lick-Wilmerding’s McCullough library gained a great new temporary head librarian this winter. Susanne DeRisi has stepped in for the beloved Lissa Crider, who is on sabbatical. DeRisi spends her time in the Library shelving, researching and teaching students to research in a plethora of subjects (while also running the best study spot at Lick- Wilmerding!). She has a passion for discovery, learning and literature.
KK Narita: How long have you been a librarian?
Susanne DeRisi: That’s hard to say, I have always worked in libraries. I worked in my library in college and then after in the Stanford library. I then went to librarian school and after graduating I worked primarily in websites and building online databases for about ten years. A couple years ago I became a teaching librarian. So I’ve spent a long time thinking like a librarian.
KK: What made you want to become a librarian?
SDR: I knew I either wanted be a librarian or own a bookstore. Libraries were the place I wanted to go every weekend to check out books. I didn’t expect to work with websites, but when I was in school that was what was really popular, so I studied as much as I could in the field. That’s what was going on and that’s what I studied. But I am coming back to where I always wanted to be.
KK: What is the best part of being a librarian?
SDR: I get to research a lot of interesting things, and work with students and teachers, but I don’t have to write the papers. I find the different projects that the students are working on fascinating. I enjoy the learning process and working with students.
KK: What is your favorite book?
SDR: Favorite author right now, William Gibson, for his ideas more than his writing. My favorite genre is science fiction and Gibson’s ideas are just so entertaining. I can’t pin down one favorite book, that is too hard.
KK: How do you spend your time outside of school?
SDR: I love Geocaching. My family travels around and collects the secret treasures. Geocaching is a large tresaure hunt that is all around the world and is run through the website https://www. geocaching.com/play.
KKN: What time period is your favorite to research and why?
SDR: I like researching World War II with students because there is so much that happened both on the homefront and overseas. I really don’t have a favorite topic of research, the variety is interesting to me. I recently helped the genetics students on their conference, that was really fun and different than what I usually research.
KK: What is something you would like the LWHS community to know?
SDR: I would invite everyone to come and have lunch in the library with Mao and Thu and me. It is fun to chat with teachers and students, I would love for students to come by the office. I have really enjoyed talking to the teachers old and new and hearing about their experiences.
