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Archived: Meet the Librarians of the Oviatt

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Meet Andrew Weiss, a Digital Services Librarian here at the library. One of his main responsibilities is CSUN’s institutional repository ScholarWorks, which is an open access repository of works authored by CSUN faculty and students, learn more about it in our ScholarWorks guide.

Andrew Weiss, Digital Services Librarian
Andrew Weiss, Digital Services Librarian

Where are you originally from?

I grew up in Reading, PA, not far from Philadelphia, but I also spent 8 years living in Japan and consider it like a second home.

What do you admire about CSUN students?

I’m always amazed at their strong desire to engage the world head-on, whether in campus activities, high-quality projects, or social activism. I also see a lot of collaboration going on here in the library among students — banding together to tackle their classes and assignments. When I walk past the study rooms, I often see chalkboards full of notes and equations that I couldn’t begin to decipher.

I’m also impressed with those students who can walk and text on their cell phones without bumping into things.

Why did you become a librarian?

It’s the perfect hybrid-education role: a combination of classroom teaching, research, historical and archival document preservation, digital technology, social media, project management and digital rights management.  It’s a challenge to become proficient in all those areas. And I like the challenge. There’s always something new to learn.

What is your favorite quote?

“I’m not crazy about reality, but it’s still the only place to get a decent meal.”  – Groucho Marx

What is your favorite book or your top 5?

Too many to count, but the shortlist would have to include: A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, Coin Locker Babies by Ryu Murakami, & Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot…plus many more.

What are your research interests?

I’m currently doing research on massive digital libraries such as Google Books, HathiTrust, and Internet Archive (to name a few). I’m also interested in international open access digital library collaborations – especially those related to Japan and East Asia.

 -Laurie Borchard