Our spotlight section highlights important members of the film and library communities. This week, we sat down with one of our very own staff writers, Trudie Root!
Trudie Root received her Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Michigan and is a librarian with a professional career covering 30 years. Trudie served as the Librarian of the Army under the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1 at Army Headquarters administering the Army Library Program, the agency level office for planning, policy, oversight, and coordination of library functions and services for a network of nearly 200 academic, general (public), medical, legal, scientific/technical and special libraries.
Trudie has also worked in academic, special, and public libraries in the Midwest and Florida. She served as an adjunct instructor for Catholic University in Washington, D.C. She now lives in Fort Lauderdale.
Take a look at our interview with her below.
What is a day in the life of being a librarian at the Army Library Program?
I first learned about the Army Library Program while working at the Pentagon Library as a civilian Army librarian; in 2010, I accepted a position working for the Librarian of the Army and soon discovered the Army Library Program is worldwide and encompasses many types of libraries: general (public), academic, medical, scientific/technical, and special (law, museum, intelligence) with approximately 700 staff.
For a librarian at a general library at an Army installation, the day might involve delivering programs for Army families, responding to requests for materials from overseas, and assisting returning Soldiers with technology and library support at their new duty station."
How can Video Librarian be useful for librarians such as yourself?
Feature films and documentaries offer another way for library users to acquire knowledge about the world and its inhabitants. Movies can tell enlightening stories, provide entertainment, convey emotion, and move individuals to action. For librarians, reviews containing descriptions, audience levels, ratings, format, and recommendations can save
time in the selection process, allow for the discovery of unexpected titles, and assist with the management of finite resources.
What is your favorite film that you have covered on Video Librarian?
My favorite film that I covered is Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes, Feeling Heart because it opened my eyes to social and racial injustice particularly with regard to zoning laws, and, it features the wonderful black playwright Lorraine Hansberry who was a dynamic communicator and activist and whose life ended way too soon.
Why did you want to become a writer for Video Librarian?
In the mid-1990s I was a special librarian with the responsibility for selecting videos to assist mental health counselors, school psychologists, and other educational professionals working with children and families to address conflict management, substance abuse, teen pregnancy, and other social and mental health issues. Videos are an effective medium to help build resilience, support prevention, and deal with treatment.
Since educational videos are more expensive than feature films, I previewed all of my videos before purchasing them and published a catalog of titles by subject with summaries and audience levels. I realized this information could be helpful to other librarians and began to write video reviews. After I retired from the Army Library Program, I wanted to write video reviews again and became a writer for Video Librarian.
Would you or your library like to be featured in our spotlight section? E-mail caroline@videolibrarian.com for more info!