The Ross Pendergraft Library would like to extend best wishes to Stephen Blackford, our Interlibrary Loan Assistant and Public Services staff member, upon his forthcoming retirement at the end of November.
As the Interlibrary Loan Assistant, Stephen plays a critical role in the library by obtaining articles, books, and other materials not in our collection for our faculty and student researchers. Additionally, he serves researchers around the country by lending our materials to other libraries in a cooperative partnership that elevates the importance of our own collections at Arkansas Tech University.
When he is not managing this core service, you’ll find him at the main Research Help Desk on the first floor of the library, assisting students, staff, faculty, and community users with just about any question under the sun—from article sleuthing to printer troubleshooting. His speed, accuracy, and friendly service have been a tremendous asset for nearly 35 years, not only to our library and ATU, but to other libraries and scholars at countless institutions.
Stephen pictured in the 1981 Agricola Yearbook reading one of the thousands of periodicals in the Tomlinson Library
Stephen grew up in Russellville and graduated from Arkansas Tech in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration; he received a Master of Education in Instructional Technology from Tech as well. While at Tech, Stephen worked on the Agricola Yearbook Staff and was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.
Stephen started working full-time for the library in 1992 when it was located in Tomlinson Hall, seven years before the opening of the Ross Pendergraft Library & Technology Center. He then had an opportunity to serve as the Library Director at the National Guard Professional Education Center in North Little Rock where he would work for twenty-three years. During that time, however, he continued to work for the library part-time on the weekends until 2018 when he was promoted to the full-time position of Interlibrary Loan Assistant.
Stephen said he considers himself most fortunate to end his career as the Interlibrary Loan assistant, having loved this role more than any other in his years in library services. He has enjoyed working in Interlibrary Loan because he likes the thrill of hunting down a challenging source for students and faculty. He finds great satisfaction in scoring a win, whether locating an obscure dissertation or pulling up a hard-to-find article to scan on microfiche. Stephen also loves interacting with all of our patrons while he works his Research Help Desk shifts, especially when he can help students find the resources they need.
Stephen will miss the daily routine of coming to work at the library and interacting with the faculty and students. He has been at the library for a long time and has seen people come and go: many colleagues who have moved on to retirement or another job, and some who have passed away. He will carry fond memories of all of his friends from the library staff.
Stephen said that he is looking forward to retiring, but he hasn’t made any firm plans yet. He plans on taking time to find a new routine, do some yard work, and enjoy walking and biking outside. The library faculty and staff will miss Stephen—especially those of us who are trying to learn all of the details of his job before he leaves.
If you, too, will miss Stephen, please stop by the first floor Research Help Desk and congratulate him before his last day on November 30th. You can also send a note of gratitude and well-wishes to library@atu.edu. We plan to collect and share all of those messages at a small, private celebration in his honor.
Best wishes to Stephen! We will miss you!
