Meet our new evening librarian!

Introducing Sundeep Mahendra our new Part-Time Evening Librarian!

Sundeep works nights in Belk Sunday through Thursday.  Here, we ask Sundeep a few questions about his background and why he chose librarianship as a profession.

Where did you go to school as an undergraduate and what were your degrees?
As an undergrad I went to the University of Cincinnati, where I completed a B.A. in History.  I received my Master of Science in Library Science here in NC at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

What drew you to the library profession?
In college I worked at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.  While there I got the chance to work as a reference assistant, helping users with a variety of research questions.  I fell in love with the process of helping users unlock puzzles, and have worked in libraries ever since.

What is your favorite part of being a librarian?
I really enjoy helping students find the information they need, and helping them understand how to use it.  With the ever-increasing amount of information available to us from so many outlets, I think the librarian’s role as mediators of information is more important than ever – we offer the training to understand what is reliable and useful, and how to put it all into context.  Whether at the reference/information desk or in the classroom, I thrive on that interaction.  I am most interested in reference and instruction, and the ever-changing way in which we help our users navigate the flood of information available to them.   Along those lines, I am also interested in understanding how language may be a barrier to librarians working with some students.  For example, at UNC I conducted a study to determine how effective IM/chat reference was for students whose first language was not English.

How about your spare time?  Do you have any hobbies?
I’m sure this will come as a shock: I really enjoying reading.   I have been reading across many genres lately, from sci-fi/fantasy and mystery novels to political non-fiction.   I also spend a lot of time walking and hiking with my girlfriend and our dog, watching movies, and traveling as often as I can with family and friends.

You work until midnight.  Do you consider yourself a night owl?
I am a bit of a night owl, yes.  I am much more comfortable and alert at midnight than I ever am at seven in the morning!