Library staff recently recognized Chief Administrative Officer, Stephanie Peterson for her 10-year anniversary at the UC Merced Library. However, Stephanie’s history with the university is much deeper and longer than most of ours. She has been at UC Merced for 24 years!
How did you end up at UC Merced?
I originally moved to Merced when I was 11 years old and lived here through my sophomore year at Merced College, then went to CSU Sacramento for my Bachelor’s degree. After 8 years in the legal field as a paralegal, I returned to Merced in 1999 to be closer to family and found an admin job with the local medical society. However, growing up with parents who both worked for a large corporation, I was drawn to positions at larger institutions and was excited to learn about UC’s interest in Merced. In January 2000, I was hired as the campus receptionist and was the first face people saw at our first local location on Olive Avenue before later relocating to Castle, Mondo and then to campus.
What other positions did you hold at UC Merced before starting at the Library?
After eight months as the campus receptionist, I had the distinct honor of working two years directly with founding Chancellor Carol Tomlinson-Keasey (CTK). I then worked as the executive assistant for founding EVC/Provost David Ashley for four years before joining the Academic Personnel Office for seven years as an Analyst and then Management Services Officer (MSO). This final position, before starting with the Library, provided valuable experience in procurement, finance, budgets, and personnel as I supported various departments under the Provost division, including Academic Affairs, Academic Senate, Institutional Planning & Analysis, International Affairs, Assessment Office, and Fresno Center.
What are your memorable moments from those first years at the University?
In those early days there was a lot of excitement and energy and you never knew what tasks would land on your desk for that day. Which local, state, federal or UC official would be calling that day or walking through the door? I wore several hats as a facilities person, locksmith, event coordinator, phone expert, purchaser, taxi driver, tour guide… Some days I’d be out buying light bulbs for the office, getting keys copied, picking up food/drinks for the endless meetings, troubleshooting phone problems, ordering china, houseware or even firewood for the Chancellor’s residence or picking up candidates from the Merced airport and taking them on a Lake Road drive-by of an imaginary campus. Other duties as assigned was 100% of your job.
Most memorable were the fun staff events at Castle which included Halloween (Chancellor CTK’s favorite – dress-up was practically mandatory) and Christmas parties as well as Friday afternoon hockey games. Chancellor CTK would walk through the halls encouraging staff to join the hockey games in the parking lot; we’d grab the mint tin “hockey pucks” and some hockey sticks for some laughs, fun, and stress relief. We were all paving the way in our jobs, navigating so many unknowns, while balancing excitement and exhaustion, and she knew how to lighten our loads and encourage teamwork, if just for a few minutes of activity and fun.
What prompted you to apply to the Library?
While I started my employment as an entry level Admin Asst I and advanced through the AA, Specialist, Analyst and MSO titles, my UC experience started at the top in the Chancellor’s office, Provost Office, Academic Affairs, etc. After 13 years of working in central administrative departments and obtaining a vast amount of opportunities and experience, I was interested in gaining a departmental perspective while continuing my MSO experience. I had served as budget liaison in the Provost Office which had departments, including the Library, reporting directly to it. Working with both MSO Joy Parham and AUL of Operations Eric Scott had sparked my interest in working more closely with students and librarians.
What surprised you about the Library and how has your position evolved over time?
Four big surprises about the Library that I learned in my initial weeks were: 1) librarians are academic and not staff positions and they go through a detailed review process; 2) the term “Collections” is not the accounts payable term of collecting on past debts but rather the process of collecting all types of print and electronic resources and access for campus users to enhance their research and learning; 3) Library is responsible for maintaining its own building and funding space/furniture changes and upgrades; and 4) Library’s strong emphasis on customer service through its staff and student employees to assist all patrons, including faculty, staff, students and the public.
My position has certainly evolved through the years. When I started at the Library, I was the procurement, travel, financial and personnel processor for the department as well as the Executive Assistant to the Interim University Librarian. Now, we’ve grown to a team of four and have increasing responsibilities such as managing the librarian review process, recruitment and event support, financial and budget management of state funds as well as grants, gifts, contracts, recharges, endowments, etc. and so much more.
What does a typical day look like in the Library for you?
As the Library Chief Administrative Officer, I oversee our Administrative Services team which supports all seven units in the Library, including 30+ staff and 40+ student employees. A typical day includes questions, emails, approvals, meetings related to procedures, finances/budgets, procurement, events, travel, and human resources. We often re-evaluate ways to improve processes to work smarter, not harder. But some days, I never get to check off any items on my own to-do list!
What is the highlight of the Library organization?
I enjoy the variety of work and working with all the Library staff – the interactions, support, professionalism, learning something new about each unit. Library is comprised of many important units and working with them, providing them with the administrative and financial support they need to help achieve their goals and contribute to Library’s mission and success is rewarding.
What is the greatest challenge of working the Library?
There’s so much we all want to do and just not enough people, resources, funding or time to get it done. It’s challenging to identify and prioritize the most important items because all our units provide resources and services that assist and directly benefit all campus users and beyond to the community, other UCs, universities and more. Change management is a huge challenge for my specific unit. Information and processes are constantly changing, and it can be overwhelming and exhausting in trying to keep up and manage it all.
