5 Minutes with Carlos R. Fernandez, the New Editor of the National Network Newsletter

Submitted by: Carlos Fernandez

Thanks for taking five minutes to talk with National Network. Inquiring minds want to know! Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from originally? Have you lived in other places? Did you ever live abroad? 

I was born and raised in suburban Miami, Florida. I moved to the New York City area in 1998 and worked in IT jobs while exploring academic interests until 2002. In 2003, I interned at an archaeological field school on Achill Island, Ireland, excavating a village with 5,000 years of habitation. I lived in Chicago from 2005 to 2009. I have visited various places in the United States, Ireland, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, and Greece.

What did you study in college? Did you go to library school right after, or take a break? Where did you attend library school?

I attended the University of Miami for my undergraduate studies, majoring in Anthropology and minoring in English Literature. For my master’s degree, I studied at Chicago Theological Seminary at the University of Chicago and earned a Master of Arts in Theology with a focus on Medieval Theology. During my time at both universities, I worked in their libraries, where I gained proficiency in locating resources for research purposes using both card catalogs and online discovery systems. I obtained my MLIS from Florida State University.

Tell us a bit about your job. What’s the biggest change you’ve experienced in your career?

I began my career in 2011 as a reference librarian at Miami Dade College, later taking on the role as a international documents librarian at Florida International University. In October 2019, I transitioned to hospital librarianship at Cleveland Clinic’s location in Weston, FL. Weston is approximately twenty-five miles away from both Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Cleveland Clinic runs five hospitals in Florida, along with a scientific research facility. In Florida, I serve as a solo librarian catering to all the Clinic’s locations within the state. At the time of my hire, Cleveland Clinic had recently purchased four of the five hospitals mentioned above and needed a librarian. This was different from working in a university library environment, where there were already established practices and numerous colleagues available for assistance. I had to start the library services for five libraries with vastly different resource subscriptions and expectations of service from scratch.

Fortunately, colleagues in Ohio aided me with putting the Florida contracts and subscriptions in order. I also consulted other hospital librarians in South Florida to learn how they manage their libraries. In my five and a half years tenure in this role, I have effectively overcome many of the challenges I first encountered when I was hired. My success is attributed to seeking collaborative support from colleagues and integrating advanced technology into workflow processes. Specifically, the implementation of Microsoft Forms to automate library service requests. It has helped the organization of requests into distinct categories such as article requests, literature searches, IT and access issues, appointments, workshops, etc. This system has streamlined operations and enabled effortless tracking of statistics through automatic data collection.

What do you like to do in your spare time? 

In my spare time, I read, listen to audiobooks, care for my pets, and dream of traveling abroad. During Miami’s 80-degree winters, I go to the beach. I am the regional chair of Cleveland Clinic’s Florida LGBTQ+ employee resource group, so I am often attending galas or walking in parades on weekends. I am also president of the South Florida Health Sciences Library Consortium where we hold meetings and career development workshops. I am also a Franciscan friar and serve where I can at my parish.

What is/are your favorite book(s) of all time? Movie? TV show to binge?

I am not one to binge-watch TV. However, I do enjoy rewatching Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. My favorite gag is when Spike drinks blood from a “Kiss the Librarian” mug with a straw.

What are you currently reading? Do you have a book recommendation for HLC that you’d like to share (doesn’t have to be library/job-related!)?

I am currently reading the advanced reader’s copy of Ruth Ware’s The Woman in Suite 11. I am also anticipating Stephen King’s upcoming release, Never Flinch. Usually, I do not read any library-related material outside of the office unless it is fictional. I enjoy reading horror, thrillers, and mysteries (in academic setting, with clergy sleuths, or in the historic past). The librarian in me highly recommends Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian, A. S. Byatt’s Possession, and Anne Rice’s The Witching Hour.