What is the best way to get to know a librarian (or an archivist)? By getting them to talk about books, of course! Each month, we will introduce you to one of the librarians of Ohrstrom Library. In honor of American Archives Month, we talked to Ms. Deanna Parsi, our School Archivist.
We asked Ms. Parsi…
What was your first library?
“The first library I remember is Hills Memorial Library in Hudson, NH. I especially loved their bookmobile – in the summer, I would always be waiting for it at the end of our street. The librarian who drove it would stock up on books she knew I would like. The town library moved to another building several years ago, but I recently discovered that the original library building is on the National Register of Historic Places.”
Who are your top five favorite authors?
What are your three “desert island” books?
“I always cheat on this question! I would bring:
The Complete Novels of Jane Austen,
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, and
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving.”
What is the last book that made you laugh or cry or both?
“Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevon. I laughed AND cried! It is a love story, but not like any love story you have read before – it is a love story to creativity, to art, to youth, and to friendship. I should probably add Gabrielle Zevin to my list of favorite authors – she never lets me down.”
If you could time travel, when and where would you go?
“This is a hard one! It would obviously be amazing to go back in time to meet Jane Austen, but I would also love to check out Queen Elizabeth I’s Tudor court. I guess I would just have to flip a coin should I ever come across a time machine!”
What is your favorite room in Ohrstrom Library?
“I should probably say the Archives, but I love the Tower Room!”
What was your favorite subject/class in school?
“I always liked my English classes best. The one I remember the most, however, is the Tolkien class I took my junior year in high school.”
Why do you like being the archivist at SPS?
“I like being part of a school with such a long history. My job is not only to preserve the records of the past, but also to ensure that the records of today are preserved for future generations.”
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