The Concordian

Media Credit: Wendy Holdren Abe Lilly [Click to enlarge]

Former Housing Operations Manager Abe Lilly is now working in the library as the director of readers’ services.

Lilly began the job on August 31 and it entails the same duties that Mr. Turnball had as a research librarian.  Turnball retired at the end of July and the position was posted.  Lilly submitted his application and was selected for the position after an interviewing process.

Many students were familiar with Lilly because of his work with housing.  He was a resident director, then resident life specialist, then housing operations manager.  He said this was an asset when interviewing for his new position.

“It’s been different coming from housing to this job; I served as a reference for a lot of students,” Lilly said.  “Now I get to do a lot more academic referencing, helping students with researching, and helping with computers.”

Lilly says some of the things he did with housing has helped, such as training RAs, counseling students, and helping them academically.

Lilly graduated from Concord in 1995.  He majored in biology and has a master’s degree in education.  He says he feels he can especially help undergraduate students with their graduate research, as well as help education majors because of his experience.

Lilly is responsible for over 160,000 books in the library’s collection.

“I think my biggest challenge will be getting students to realize what we have in our library that can help them advance here academically and helping our faculty feel open with coming to our library,” Lilly said. “That’s a big challenge to make that connection between our student learners and our learned faculty and bring them to the common academic ground of our library. I feel like I’m a mediator.”

As for the future direction of the library, Lilly said he is doing an overview.  He works very closely with Library Director Dr. Rowe.  He said Dr. Rowe and the other library staff have been very supportive with his new position so far.

“We have some ideas and we bounce them off each other, then we bring students in for their opinions. We’re going to work with some standard practices from the American Library Association and make some changes. I don’t know what changes I want to make yet, it’ll be a little bit,” Lilly said.

He says he hopes to have a good idea of what students need and what they use the library for by December.

“This is really new to me; it’s a nice challenge.”

Lilly says Concord is like his second home and he wants other Concordians to feel the same.

Lilly describes his attitude as open, without being aggressive, towards students so they know he is available if they need help.  He says it is a “hello kind of mentality.”

“If you see a happy face, you’ll feel more comfortable with asking questions to people.  That kind of theory I used with housing and I’m kind of using it here too.”

This mentality was instilled in Lilly while he was growing up in Talcott, WV.  He described himself as a “farm boy” and said his parents were always very supportive, especially when he decided to go to college.

He met former Concord President Jerry Beasley on a scholarship walk when he was a freshman in high school.  Beasley told Lilly to call him if he ever decided he wanted to go to college; it’s been history from there.

Lilly began college in 1991 and graduated with the first Bonner Scholar class from Concord in 1995.

Lilly’s wife, Anna, his brother, and his first-cousin also graduated from Concord. 

In 1995, Lilly received an award from President Bill Clinton for his work in education and community service.

He worked with the Bonner selection committee when he started work at Concord, but he has not been closely involved with them since then.

“If I don’t pass my knowledge, it helps no one. It dies with me. That’s why you teach. I just want students to feel that the library is a place where they can come and learn. I believe the library is the academic hub of the university and we must keep a good academic standing inside and have respect for each other when we come to the library.  I want everyone to feel welcome here, but also respectful of what is trying to be accomplished here. If I can ensure that in a kind way, it would be wonderful.”

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