The PANANOLE News: FSU-Panama Student E-Zine

As you enter FSU-Panama’s library, the first thing you will notice is that everything is tidy and dirt free. In addition, you also enter a very peaceful and quiet environment, where everything is well organized. Have you ever wondered about who is responsible for all this cleanliness, serenity, and order? Well, the person behind all this is our librarian: Mr. Anthony Blackie. I thank Mr. Blackie for granting me some of his valuable time for this Pananole Interview.

Lam: Mr. Anthony, where are you from?

Blackie: I’m from Sierra Leone, West Africa.

Lam: I understand that in Africa people have tribal names. Do you have one?

Blackie: Yes, I do. My native name is Hindowá Dodowá , which means “Great Chief.” But, actually, everybody knows me as Anthony; only a few people in my native country call me by my real name.

Lam: Why did you decide to come to Panama?

Blackie: While I was on a trip to India, I met a Panamanian woman. We became very good friends. I came here to visit her in 1999, fell in love, and we got married. In that way, my visit to Panama became permanent.

Lam: Do you actually like books?

Blackie: Yes, I do. But it is not the book in itself that I love. A book, after all, consists only sheets of paper bound together. In that case, then, what really matters is the content, the information that a book contains. That is what I love—the information.

Lam: What is your formal academic preparation?

Blackie: I have a bachelor’s degree in Library Archives and Information Sciences from the University of Sierra Leone, which is the oldest public university in West Africa.

Lam: Were you a good student?

Blackie: I was an outstanding student when I was in elementary school. When I got to high school, however, my grades dropped significantly. I later became aware of the importance of good grades as well as of the importance of learning. I then became serious about my studies and once again became a good student.

Lam: Did you enjoy high school?

Blackie: I enjoyed it very much, even though my high school was only for boys and demanded a lot of discipline. I was in a public high school called: Government Secondary School, or commonly known as Bo school because it’s located in a place called Bo. It was an academy, where people who were enrolled had to live there the entire semester. Not until the end of the semester did you get to go home to see your family, and then only if you passed all your classes. I can still remember the rigorous rules and the severe punishments. For example, every morning you had to fix your bed, if you didn’t then you would have no mattress to sleep on, and if somebody offered to share his bed with you, that student would also be punished.

Lam: Where did you learn English?

Blackie: Sierra Leone was a British colony. Even after the British left we kept English as the official language. Because of this, everyone learns English from the moment they begin school. We do, though, have our native language, which is called Mende. It is not a dialect; it has its own writing system and everything.

Lam: How long have you been working at FSU-Panama?

Blackie: A little bit more than a year.

Lam: What changes have you seen take place in your area?

Blackie: Oh, so many things have changed. For instance, the organization and accessibility to the databases and to the collections has been dramatically improved. Now, the information a student needs can be retrieved quickly. It is much more efficient now, but we still have a lot we can improve on. Also, I believe that our service is improving. Moreover, our facilities have been improved. Each day more students are coming to the library. For one thing, the Computer Lab, with direct access to the Internet, is now located here. We are also modernizing our collection, trying to get rid of old books so that we can bring in new ones.

Lam: What is the greatest satisfaction you have gotten from this job?

Blackie: My greatest satisfaction is to see my clients satisfied. That is why I always offer my best to whoever comes into the library. There is nothing more pleasant and rewarding than to know that you have helped others.

Lam: What has been your greatest challenge on this job?

Blackie: Trying to update everything. This means that I have to be constantly sending outdated materials out of the library. But I also have to make sure that these materials are replaceable; there is no use in getting rid of old materials if you don’t have new ones to replace them.

Lam: What do you do for fun when you are away from your job?

Blackie: I do so many things. I visit Colón frequently; that’s where my wife’s family lives. I also enjoy going to the beach. When I’m home, I like to read. Reading takes you to other worlds and at the same time you’re learning many new things.

Lam: What types of books do you like to read?

Blackie: I usually read fiction. I like detective stories, murder mysteries; the same goes with the types of movies that I like.

Lam: What advice do you have for students who may be considering becoming a librarian?

Blackie: First of all, you’ve got to be really organized. Organization and planning are the keys to this profession. Other than that, I believe that being a librarian is a highly rewarding career that anyone can pursue.