Patrons who spend time in the Alkek Library may recognize his voice, even if they don’t recognize Devon Birdsong’s face. Since the pandemic began, Birdsong is often the one asking patrons to do their part by following COVID-19 safety measures over the library’s public address system.
Birdsong is the head assistant at the Checkout desk located on the third floor of the library. He and the rest of his team assist patrons by checking out books, managing the reserve bookcase and even scanning print materials so students, faculty and staff can access them remotely.
But he is perhaps best known for that smooth voice over the intercom.
“My family is pretty theatrical. I grew up in a family of actors, so it kind of comes along that route. I also used to announce a lot of high school football games. I’m also involved in community theater down in Wimberley, but I haven’t been able to do that recently.” Birdsong said.
Theater isn’t the only artform that Birdsong is interested in.
“I do a lot of things that I really enjoy. I play guitar, piano and I sing.” Birdsong said. “I’m an extremely avid reader as well, which is one of the perks of working at the library. I’ve got probably four books in my office, four or five in my car, and a couple in my home. I kind of just read them all simultaneously. My favorite book is probably ‘East of Eden’ by John Steinbeck or ‘The Road’ by Cormac McCarthy.”
When asked about his favorite Alkek memory, Birdsong said he holds many memories dear but there is one memory that came to mind.
“A couple years ago we got snowed in right here at the library. That was a lot of fun. We had kids playing out in the courtyard, we watched people throw snowballs at each other and try to make tiny snowmen. It was a nice time. Then, when it got warmer some of the snow that was stuck at the top of Alkek started cascading down on the people below, so that was amusing to watch,” he recalled.
One of Birdsong’s favorite parts about his job at the library is helping people solve their problems.
“I like seeing people find solutions to their problems, that’s what generally makes me happy,” Birdsong said. “I think a lot of people come in here REALLY stressed out. I mean it’s such a huge building. It’s a stressful time on top of that, and there are people here who have never been to the university. If we can help somebody, whether it’s a small issue like: ‘Hey, I need to check out this item;’ or a large issue like: ‘We need to get something from the archives;’ or: ‘We have to get permission in order to scan this;’ we will try to figure it out. I like solving problems, and it makes me happy seeing people have their problems solved and the way they relax when they realize their problem is being resolved and there is a solution for it. I think that’s the thing I like the most.”
Swing by and visit Devon and the rest of his team at the Checkout desk, find out more about the services they offer and see how they can help you.
This article was contributed by Carin Carlin, University Libraries Social Media Student Assistant.