Court Reporting. Kaleigh Sargeant, a student at South Coast College in Orange, won the monthly library contest. Ed Reaser indicated that she provided the best research on the contest topic. Congratulations to Kaleigh!
Edward Reaser, MLS, Librarian/Bookstore Manager at South Coast College in Orange, earned his Masters degree in Library Science from the University of Southern California.Â
What interest you in pursuing employment at South Coast College?
I was interested in a librarian position at a small college, after having worked for many years in various types of large libraries. In a small library setting, you get a chance to know students, faculty, and staff.
What surprised you most about South Coast College?
Actually, several things surprised me. The dedication and motivation of the students was the thing that most surprised me. It is rare to find students filling the learning resource centers when they are not required to be at school. Even on student holidays when the college is open, many students are on campus working.
The other things that most surprised me was the scope of the library and learning resource centers for the size of the school.Â
1. Each program has a dedicated learning center, in addition to the extensive on-campus library.Â
2. The large number of computer terminals for access to on-line resources located throughout the campus.
3. The depth of the library legal collection, and the fact that it is shared with Pacific West College of law.
4.  The accessibility of the campus resources to students from early morning to late at night.
In regard to the bookstore at South Coast College in Orange, I was surprised at the extent of the bookstore inventory and the convenience that it provides to students. Not many schools the size of South Coast College has a bookstore on campus that has the hours available for student convenience that this one has. The bookstore is accessible to students from 8-2 p.m. daily and 5-8 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday with added hours at the beginning of each quarter.
Speaking of the bookstore at South Coast College, why did you assume the responsibilities of Bookstore Manager along with your responsibilities of Librarian?
The two are closely related. The library and bookstore are in close proximity. I felt that by working in conjunction with the bookstore staff and making myself available in the bookstore at times, I could be more responsive to the needs of both faculty and students. Working in the bookstore, I really learn what the needs of the faculty and students are.Â
The bookstore now provides not only the books and supplies needed for the courses but an array of supplementary materials.
Of what accomplishments at South Coast College are you most proud?
In addition to the task of weeding out from the library collection books to provide room for updated materials and better student access which is an on-going task in any library, I think that I am most proud of our new program of making library tips available to students via the South Coast College website. Â
I would also have to say that I am proud that our instructors encourage students to use the library by actually bringing classes into the library for a day, showing the students how to do research, and in taking them off campus to the Orange County Law Library.
What advantages do you believe a student has by attending South Coast College with regard to library services?
1. The fact that there is a library on site that has on-line access.
2. The close proximity of South Coast College to major medical and legal libraries. The Orange County Public Law Library, the new Orange Public Library, and the UCI Medical Libary are within a few miles or a few blocks of the college.
3. The extensive law collection because there is a shared use with a law school.