The Levy Library Blog

"Behind the Desk" - Sonali Sugrim

With The "Behind the Desk" interview series, we meet the people behind the curtain of the Mount Sinai Health System Libraries. Today we get to meet Sonali Sugrim, Electronic Resources & Cataloging Librarian. 

Sonali Sugrim

How long have you been working at Levy Library and what were you doing before?

I have been at the Levy Library since September 2017. Prior to Levy, I worked as a cataloger for an Art Gallery and as an Assistant Archivist for a hospital. Before I received my library degree, I worked at a couple of universities in New York managing their databases and producing reports.

Describe the duties and responsibilities of your job.

I manage the library catalog which includes print, e-books, e-journals, and other e-resources. I also oversee all cataloging procedures and perform any original cataloging that needs to be done. As a measure to maintain the catalog, I liaise with OCLC to ensure and improve our access to records. I also contact vendors and publishers in the event of access issues.

Another aspect of my job is to generate reports and usage statistics which also includes the library and the Archives. Some reports I create or pull and others I have to contact publishers to provide us with the data.

What is the most challenging aspect of your job?

The most challenging aspect is to keep everything organized as the more organize I am, the better I can manage the many aspects of maintaining the catalog and making materials easily discoverable.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

The most rewarding aspect of the job is getting everything to work and as well as being able to track our holdings effectively. I do enjoy the reporting aspect of the job. Statistics is used to determine what we purchase and from which vendors so keeping this aspect organized as well is very important.

What are your interests outside of work?

I like to read and explore the many museums in the city. 

Special thanks to Sonali! Stay tuned to Levy Library Blog for the next "Behind the Desk" interview!