Concord University’s library recently welcomed a new staff member to the team:
Seth Caudill, the new reference librarian.
Caudill is originally from Fort Gay, West Virginia, a community that he says is very similar to the community here at Concord. In fact, one of his favorite things about his position at the university is that it’s so similar to his original home. He explains, “One is always happiest at home, but this is pretty close.”
Caudill’s educational background is almost as extensive as it is impressive. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History at West Virginia University. He then went on to receive his Master’s degree in the same field, also from West Virginia University. After that, he received his Masters of Science degree in Library Science from the University of Kentucky. As if his current academic achievements aren’t striking enough, he says that his long-term goals are to receive a Ph.D, “maybe in History, Library Science, or even Education.”
Although he has only been with the university for a short time, Caudill is enjoying his position and says that his favorite things about the job so far are the people he’s gotten to interact with every day, both his coworkers and library patrons. He experienced none of the usual “new job anxiety” because everyone on campus did a wonderful job of making him feel welcome and at home. He adds that his coworkers played a big part in making his transition smooth because the library staff is very team oriented and works well together: “We have a project, and we work together to get it done.”
When asked if he had any big goals for his position or any ideas on how to improve the library, Caudill says he doesn’t believe the library needs anymore real changes. “We have air conditioning now, so that’s great. I wasn’t here before that, but I don’t think it was pleasant,” he says, and follows with, “the recent renovations have really fixed all the main library problems.” Then, after some consideration, he laughs and says, “Except for that awful orange tile in the hallway.”
Outside of work, Caudill is a dedicated sports fan. “I’ve always loved sports. Basketball, baseball, football, even golf. Sports are my release. I really like when the Olympics are on because you get to see alternative sports like curling,” he says.
On a similar note, an interesting fact about Caudill is that he is fairly prone to sports accidents. “I survived a line drive to the forehead once. I don’t think many people can say that,” he jokes.
Although he has some lofty academic goals, Caudill tries not to dwell on the future very much. He prefers a more spontaneous ‘live in the moment’ lifestyle and believes that he will end up wherever he’s meant to be.
Caudill is enjoying his time here at Concord University and invites anyone to come see him in the library, whether they are students, faculty, or just members of the Athens community: “If you ever need reference help, come on in and we’ll see what we can do!”