RUSA - STARGazing: Meet Aspasia Luster
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RUSA - STARGazing: Meet Aspasia Luster
1. What is your institutional affiliation?
I am the Access Services Librarian at the Robert B. Greenblatt MD Library at Augusta University.
2. What’s your OCLC / Docline symbol?
GAUGEO-Docline
GXM-OCLC
3. What would be the title of your autobiography?
“Who Did This and Why?” - Whenever I encounter something that isn’t right or looks off, and I have to fix it, this is the question I ask myself (I also ask it out loud when watching home improvement shows where the “before” home is a hot mess, lol).
4. How did you get involved in resource sharing (or access services, etc.)?
I have worked in access services since 2015 when I was hired as one of Reese Library’s nighttime library assistants. My coworker and I were responsible for enforcing the rules and keeping the library open until 2am. About eight months later, I was hired as the department’s Senior Library Assistant, which means I was second-in-command of the department and assisted the Access Services Librarian with training, scheduling, and creating procedures and workflows for the department. I graduated with my MLIS in May 2021, and I started my current position as the Access Services Librarian at the Greenblatt Library in December 2021. This is my first faculty position and I’m very excited for this next adventure in my library career.
5. What are you passionate about? How does that passion inform your work?
I have so many interests in and out of work! In the library world I’m interested in researching access/user services (of course), information behavior, and library history. Outside of Library Land, but still in the academic realm, I am interested in women’s history, anthropology, and special collections and genealogy (I worked in the Georgia History Room for three years when I worked at the local public library). As a new faculty member I am looking forward as to how I will incorporate my interests into my work.
6. What do you feel are the benefits of your STARS membership, and why would you encourage others to get involved?
I would encourage others to get involved for the networking opportunities. Librarians love to help people (and that includes other librarians), so joining STARS is a great way to learn more resource sharing in a helpful, collaborative environment.
7. What do you wish you’d known when you started out in resource sharing (access services, etc.)?
If you need help, there are listservs and Facebook groups you can join so that you can get advice from your peers.
8. How has your STARS membership helped you do your job?
It has guided me towards training resources that gave me more confidence to complete my job accurately and efficiently.
9. What are you reading?
Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon and Game On: Tempting Twenty-Eight by Janet Evanovich. The first book is humongous and full of drama- it’s the latest book in the Outlander series. The second book is part of a long running, humorous series about a bounty hunter. It’s a quick read and total brain candy, but I love it.
10. Share your favorite fun fact about yourself
I am named after Aspasia of Miletus, a little-know figure in Greek history, although she has received more attention in the past few years after a main character in the Assassins Creed: Odyssey video game was modeled after her. (My mom found out about her while reading Taylor Caldwell’s The Glory and the Lightning).
