Your name, current work place and position (for students, please tell us what school you’re attending and if you have chosen a specialization):
Peter Spyers-Duran, University of Central Florida, Librarian.
Where did you attend school for your MLIS degree?
University of South Florida.
How long have you been an APALA member? Why did you first join? Are you currently involved as an officer/committee member/other volunteer?
I joined APALA in June 2013 and became a lifetime member in December 2016. I decided to join after attending some outstanding APALA events with a friend and meeting the friendly and engaging APALA members who support the mission–to provide library services to Asian Pacific American (APA) communities, to promote diversity in librarianship, and discuss problems and concerns of APA librarians.
I currently serve as Treasurer and am an Executive Board Member for 2018-2019. In the past, I have served in the following roles:
Co-chair of the APALA Local Arrangement Committee during the ALA Annual Conference from 2015-2016;
Co-chair of the APALA Program Planning Committee, 2014-2015 and 2015-2016;
Member of the APALA Finance and Fundraising Committee, 2013-2014 and 2014-2015.
We’re very interested in the diversity of ethnic/cultural heritage within APALA. Please share your ethnic/cultural heritage with us and any other background information, as desired.
I am of Hungarian/European descent. Being happily married to a Chinese woman for 15 years and having biracial children has given me a different perspective of the world.
What aspects of librarianship are key to your personal satisfaction at work? Please share some of your professional goals and interests.
I am the serials/university archives cataloger librarian at the University of Central Florida (UCF) Libraries, where I have been working since 1996. I also provide research assistance and serve as the collection development liaison to the Economics and Finance departments in the College of Business administration. Prior to becoming a cataloger in 2006, I was a reference, instruction, and collection development librarian. I like learning and have earned an M.S. in Accounting from UCF in 2009 and an M.A. in Applied Economics from UCF in 2005. I enjoy putting that accounting degree to good use as APALA’s Treasurer.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I look forward to working with the new Executive Board!