You see their faces, you may know their names, but it’s time to really get to know your local librarians and library staff!
Meet Ryan Houdek, Collection Development Librarian.
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Q: What brought you to HEPL?
A: I am a newcomer to HEPL. I joined the team in August of 2023. My career in libraries started in 2007. I was a couple years removed from college and wanted to be in a work environment with open-minded people who helped others and valued learning. From day one to the present, I have worked with great people who put library patrons first.
Q: What do you do at the library?
A: As the Adult AV Collection Development Librarian, I manage the DVDs, CDs, and Overdrive collections. This means I add titles that patrons want and remove titles that patrons are no longer using. The HEPL community is really engaged. Patrons’ requests are really helpful and informative. Managing the constant ebb and flow of titles is challenging and rewarding work.
Q: What is your proudest work achievement?
A: Joining HEPL and managing the Adult AV collection! Noblesville and Fishers have great media collections. Making sure DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, Audiobooks, and Libby remain well-stocked and relevant is a big responsibility. The library enriches people’s lives and the culture of stewardship at HEPL is something that I am proud to be part of.
Q: What’s one thing people might not know about you?
A: I like playing Wordle. I’ll share my strategy. My first two guesses are almost always the words: GREAT and CLOUD. Usually, those two words help reveal which vowels are used or not used. From there it’s all downhill, but not always… If you haven’t played Wordle before then you should give it a try!
Time for some rapid fire questions!
Q: If you could be any animal, which one would you choose?
A: Spider-Pig
Q: Would you rather live in Middle-Earth from The Lord of The Rings or the Wizarding World from Harry Potter?
A: Wizarding World from Harry Potter. Their food is better, plus Quidditch.
Q: What’s something you couldn’t live without?
A: Coffee
Q: What is your go-to drink or snack while working?
A: Coffee
Q: What is a weird fact that you know?
A: The moon rotates on its axis at a rate equal to its orbit of Earth. So, we can only see one side of the moon.
Thanks for answering our questions, Ryan! Check out the Adult Audio/Video collection at HEPL and send any requests for materials to Ryan here!