It is with bittersweet excitement that we say 'so long' and happy retirement to our longtime Periodicals Supervisor Debbie Hogan. After nearly 30 years at Framingham State University, Deb leaves a long legacy of adaptive design, institutional advancement, and interdepartmental partnerships. Her warm smile, kind spirit, and infectious enthusiasm will be missed dearly, so we sat down with Deb in her last week at the Henry Whittemore Library to reminisce and reflect on her decades-long career. Enjoy!
When did you start at FSU and what brought you to the library?
I started in December of 1996. I was a stay-at-home mom raising 4 kids alone while my husband was doing an unaccompanied year tour of duty with the Army. My friend and I were talking about what jobs we would like and I said I would love to work in a university library. Right after that, she saw an ad for a part-time job in the Circulation Department at Whittemore Library in the paper and I applied, got the job and here I’ve been for almost 29 years.
What has been the single biggest change you've noticed over the years?
The campus has grown and modernized a great deal as well as has the Library. I’ve seen it change from the old card catalog and hundreds of print journals to the online catalog and e-resources. We’ve changed the location of departments, weeded out out-of-date books, added technology and space for students to study as well as the Meditation Room.
What is the biggest lesson your time here has taught you?
The biggest lesson…Be willing to reach out and work with others and try new experiences. It’s been challenging and sometimes a lot of fun to develop programs or experiences to encourage the students to use the Library more. I’ve also been challenged to participate in committees on campus and work with people in other departments. It’s those experiences that adds to the quality of working on a university campus.
What is your number one piece of advice to new students?
I think it’s important to remember that people are most important in life. Cultivate friendships, reach out to those outside of your comfort zone, do service and always remember your family.
What will you miss most? What are you most looking forward to in retirement?
I will miss working with so many talented and great people, both staff, faculty and students. I still fondly remember the students I worked with my first semester here and realize that by now, their children would be old enough to attend FSU!
I'm looking forward to a trip to Scotland with my kids in April, working on family history and at some point writing my own family’s story, traveling around New England, joining local clubs and associations, taking some classes, volunteer work and doing many of those things I’ve always wanted to do, but never had time!
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