Name: Stephen Clancy
Title: Research Librarian for Health Sciences and Nursing Science (retired)
Institution: Science Library, University of California, Irvine
Brief description of what you do at your institution
Research Librarian for Health Sciences and Nursing Science. I worked with both the Nursing and Medical Schools, helped them with research projects, taught occasional classes on literature searching skills. I was also the collection development librarian for the Nursing collection for my last decade or so. I participated in the electronic reference service "Ask a Librarian" via both email and virtual sessions with patrons from all over the country.
Why is MLGSCA important to you?
I loved belonging to MLGSCA as a way to connect with other colleagues, to learn from them, and to attend (though not as often as I would have liked) the local and joint meetings!
Why did you become a librarian?
As an undergrad, one of my Anthropology T.A.s told me about the profession of "Information Sciences." At the time I had no idea this involved librarianship. I applied to grad school at UC Berkeley for Anthropology and to UCLA for "Library and Information Sciences." Berkeley rejected and and UCLA accepted me! So glad they both did. It couldn't have worked out better!
What was your first library job or professional position?
My very first job in a library was as a grad student at UCLA in the UCLA Medical Center Anesthesiology Departmental library. I was responsible for keeping the collection in order, typing up catalog cards, etc. My first professional job after I graduated was as the Assistant Director (there were only two of us!) at the Kaiser Permanente hospital library in Bellflower, California.
What is your advice to someone new to medical librarianship?
Learn as much as you can about everything, attend every class offered by database providers, MLG, MLA, etc. Respect the non-professional staff you may work with, and get to know as many as you can. Be kind and helpful to patrons, but don't take any guff!
What has been the most interesting project you have worked on?
One of my most interesting projects was way back in the middle 80's when I developed and ran the dial-up Remote Bulletin Board System (RBBS) "Wellspring" in the UCI Biomedical Library which focused on medical information, and free software collections. I eventually had users from all over including the U.S. and other countries. This taught me tons about computer systems, software, communicating virtually, and so much more. What I learned from this led to creating a similar BBS for MLGSCA and eventually to designing a website for our Reference Department, and finally my own personal one.
What do you consider to be the most pressing issues or trends in librarianship?
Lack of support from the current federal government, censorship of books in (mostly public) by conservative political groups and related legislation .
What is something you have on your bucket list?
Visit Ireland (my heritage) and New Zealand, re-learn to ride my unicycle again!
What do you do in your spare time for fun, or to relax?
Watch old classic movies & TV shows, collect and listen to classic rock and more current indie musicians and singers, raising my cacti and carnivorous plants, weekly Zoom sessions with our grandson to watch TV shows (currently Highlander) or movies, and catalog my DVD/Blu-Ray/VHS collection (once a librarian, always a librarian).
What is the best thing you have read/watched/listened to recently?
TV Shows: "China Beach" and "Star Trek: Lower Decks." Movies: "Tank Girl." Book: "I Am Not Spock" by Leonard Nimoy.
Describe yourself in five words
Weird, funny, sci-fi nerd, father/grandfather, kind
Is there anything about you that others would be surprised to know?
For years I rode a unicycle to work at UCI.
What are you most proud of?
My family.
