In a happy convergence of well-earned recognition, two members of our Guild Executive Board have been profiled in Library of Congress publications this Fall. Our officers fill dual roles, as skilled colleagues working in their professional Library capacities who are also AFSCME colleagues working together in mutual support of Library employees’ best interests.
Here are some quotes we’re pleased to feature from these profiles. Please follow the links to read them in full.
Rosemary Brawner, senior information specialist in the Copyright Office, was interviewed for the “My Job” section of LCM: Library of Congress Magazine in October. The interview was later published by the Library of Congress blog as well.
I am a senior information specialist in the Public Information Office (PIO) at the Copyright Office. I provide expert guidance and advice on copyright regulations, policies, practices and the law. I am also a card-carrying member of the Guild and serve as its treasurer.
To have a great workplace and good morale, there has to be a balance between the organization’s and the worker’s needs. I like that I play a role in keeping that balance
—Rosemary Brawner, Copyright PIO and Guild Treasurer
LCM: Library of Congress Magazine
September/October 2020
David Fernández-Barrial, Guild Chief Steward and a foreign language librarian for the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, was interviewed for a “Questions & Answers” feature of the Library’s staff publication, the Gazette.
I’ll never forget the unique smell of the stacks when I first entered the Jefferson Building. And the statue of the Maltese Falcon (used in publicity stills for the 1941 John Huston film) that was on display outside the Copyright Office on the fourth floor of the Madison Building back then. Honestly, when I saw the black bird, “the stuff that dreams are made of,” I knew that I had come to the right place….
Yet, as powerful as some of these moments were, helping Library employees find resources and support, advocating for colleagues through the union—that has been my highlight. Being the chief steward of the Guild has been the most challenging and rewarding opportunity at the Library for me, hands down. I’m honored to be in a position to serve public servants, the incredible staff of the Library, who are some of the most talented and creative people in the world.
—David Fernández-Barrial
Library of Congress Gazette 31, no. 39
October 9, 2020
