{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/c824b2zx01/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["Karen Washington Oral History"]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/010/original/Aviary_QPLlogo_192x192.png?1578574261","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Description"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSummary of Full Interview\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eKaren Washington serves as an Administrative Specialist in the Community Library Services Department of the Queens Public Library. Washington, who began working at the Queens Public Library in the mid-1980s as an Office Aide, reflects on highlights of her long library career on the eve of her retirement. Specifically, Washington speaks about her experiences becoming a supervisor, creating and conducting training opportunities for library staff, engaging in professional organizations such as the New York State Library Assistants' Association (NYSLAA), and serving as a mentor to other supervisors. Additionally, Washington shares advice to library staff regarding how to handle customer service in difficult situations and recalls memories of her loving mother.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Rights Statement"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eCC BY-NC-SA Contact digitalarchives@queenslibrary.org for research and reproduction requests.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Source Metadata URI"]},"value":{"en":["http://digitalarchives.queenslibrary.org/search/browse/43654"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["2024-08-26 (created)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Type"]},"value":{"en":["Audio"]}},{"label":{"en":["Agent"]},"value":{"en":["Karen Washington (Interviewee)","Adrienne Hawthorne (Interviewer)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Coverage"]},"value":{"en":["Early 1960s-2024 (temporal)","Queens, NY (spatial)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Language"]},"value":{"en":["English"]}}],"summary":{"en":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSummary of Full Interview\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eKaren Washington serves as an Administrative Specialist in the Community Library Services Department of the Queens Public Library. Washington, who began working at the Queens Public Library in the mid-1980s as an Office Aide, reflects on highlights of her long library career on the eve of her retirement. Specifically, Washington speaks about her experiences becoming a supervisor, creating and conducting training opportunities for library staff, engaging in professional organizations such as the New York State Library Assistants' Association (NYSLAA), and serving as a mentor to other supervisors. Additionally, Washington shares advice to library staff regarding how to handle customer service in difficult situations and recalls memories of her loving mother.\u003c/p\u003e"]},"requiredStatement":{"label":{"en":["Attribution"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eCC BY-NC-SA Contact digitalarchives@queenslibrary.org for research and reproduction requests.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},"provider":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/aboutus","type":"Agent","label":{"en":["Queens Public Library"]},"homepage":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/","type":"Text","label":{"en":["Queens Public Library"]},"format":"text/html"}],"logo":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/010/original/Aviary_QPLlogo_192x192.png?1578574261","type":"Image"}]}],"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/253/343/small/New-QPL-Logo.png?1727809989","type":"Image","format":"image/png"}],"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 1 - washington_karen_20240826_edit.mp3"]},"duration":619.092,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/253/343/small/New-QPL-Logo.png?1727809989","type":"Image","format":"image/png"}],"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-queenslibrary.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/253/343/original/washington_karen_20240826_edit.mp3?1727809444","type":"Audio","format":"audio/mpeg","duration":619.092,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Full Transcript [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Adrienne Hawthorne: Good afternoon. This is Adrienne Hawthorne. Today is Monday, August 26, and I'm interviewing Karen Washington for the first time. This interview is taking place online via Microsoft Teams. This interview is part of the Queens Memory Project. So I'd like to welcome Miss Karen Washington, who will soon be retiring from Queens Library, and we'd like to make sure we have a nice interview, some parting words and some inspirational words as well. Good afternoon, Miss Washington.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=0.0,50.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Karen Washington: Good afternoon.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=50.0,51.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Adrienne Hawthorne: Thank you so much for joining me.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=51.0,54.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Karen Washington: You're welcome.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=54.0,55.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Adrienne Hawthorne: Queens Memory is archiving all of our interactions and making sure that we have stories to tell and share. We know we have plenty of stories, but we just [want to] make sure we capture them. So you can share with us your background, and we have a few questions here. Can you share with us highlights from your childhood or while you were growing up?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=55.0,85.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Karen Washington: OK. I come from a large family. In my household there were seven boys and four girls. Money was tight, but my mother was always there for us. She played games with us. She tried to make all of her kids feel special. Every year, she piled us all up on a bus. We take bus rides to amusement parks and fairs. Everybody's birthday was treated as a big deal. You got your favorite meal, your favorite dessert, and while you didn't get a big present, you got something that she knew that you would like. Her gifts weren't really expensive, but they were geared towards what you're interested in. I was a big reader, so for you to give me a couple of books was a big deal for me.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=85.0,140.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Karen Washington: I spent—I wasn't well as a child. I've been—I was a sickly child, so I spent a lot of time in doctors' offices. And my mother was a nurse. So anytime they came back with any kind of medication or anything for me, if she didn't know it, she was going into one of her books and checking. And she'd tell me, \"I don't want that treatment for you\" or \"I don't want this treatment for you. No. We're gonna do something else.\" I remember her fighting the doctors and my father about me having blood transfusions. And then, like, I'd say months afterwards, it came out that people were getting AIDS from blood transfusions. So my mother was very smart and she was into—she was a nurse, but she was into homeopathic too.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=140.0,191.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Adrienne Hawthorne: OK. Nice. What a blessing.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=191.0,196.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Karen Washington: Yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=196.0,200.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Adrienne Hawthorne: OK. So could you share with us some highlights from your young adulthood, roughly ages 18 to 30?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=200.0,209.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/11","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Karen Washington: OK. At the age of 23, I had started working for Queens Library. The manager in Queens Library at that time, the Manager of Central Circulation, his name was Michael Hinton and he taught me the importance of treating staff fairly, because he could be harsh, but he was fair, always. And he also taught us how to be compassionate, not just to the staff but to the public out there. He assigned me to DRA [Data Research Associates] training team, which started my love of training, actually. He decided I would be the person in Central Circ that would do it and I really enjoyed it.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=209.0,253.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/12","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Karen Washington: When I became a supervisor five years later, I patterned my actions to match what he taught me. I supervised the way he supervised me. During this time, I learned to enjoy training the staff, whether it was new staff that needed to be retrained or people looking for promotions. I really got off on, you come to me, you wanna promotion, I'll work with you, and then you go up for something and you got it. I really enjoyed that part.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=253.0,284.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/13","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Adrienne Hawthorne: Nice. That's awesome. And that was across the different, across the different—","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=284.0,295.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/14","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Karen Washington: The different branches, yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=295.0,297.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/15","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Adrienne Hawthorne: Nice. OK. So can you share with us some highlights from your adulthood?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=297.0,306.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/16","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Karen Washington: OK. I was promoted in '98 to ESD [Extension Services Department] office, which is now CLS [Community Library Services] office, and I joined Metro [Metropolitan New York Library Council] Special Interest Group for Clerical Staff. I worked to get Queens Library involved in Library Assistants' Day which is held and to also get them involved in NYSLAA [New York State Library Assistants' Association]. NYSLAA is a clerical conference that they have once a year upstate. So I started getting involved in that and we wound up sending people from Queens to NYSLAA because of that. We even hosted downstate.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=306.0,354.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/17","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Adrienne Hawthorne: And the award you received?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=354.0,359.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/18","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Karen Washington: I created a customer service training for the staff and I received the Luminary Award for it, and basically it was like for the training. Basically, if you were clerical staff and you wanted to be promoted to a supervisor, you came in three Tuesdays and you got training on what the supervisor's job actually is and what you need to know. And it made it easier for people to get their promotions afterwards.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=359.0,394.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/19","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Adrienne Hawthorne: Nice. That's awesome. OK, so your career and then into retirement, special memories?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=394.0,405.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/20","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Karen Washington: Special career memories? My special memories, most of them revolve around training of staff and how they did with it, how they took it and ran with it. I've trained a lot of staff on the different software that the library has. I created trainings for the staff, I assisted ITD [Information Technology \u0026 Development] with their—with creating and conducting their trainings for staff. I like to think of myself as a mentor for the supervisors out there and I feel good when they call me if they have a problem and ask me what should I do or how would you resolve this. Because it makes me feel good that they trust me enough to come to me, and it also makes me feel good that I can in many cases resolve their problems.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=405.0,474.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/21","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Adrienne Hawthorne: Excellent. Thank you. And words of wisdom for the staff.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=474.0,480.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/22","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Karen Washington: While customer service is hard at times, you shouldn't take angry customers' remarks personally. They're going through whatever they're going through. They're angry about the situation or they're angry about something that's going on in their life. It doesn't have anything to do with you, so you can't allow them to get—to give you their negative energy. You have to hold on to your positive.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=480.0,507.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/23","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Karen Washington: And just not—I know it's hard to not listen to the negativity that's thrown at you, but if you realize and you just say it's not personal, this person is not really talking to me because he doesn't know me, you know, then it's easier to deal with somebody who's angry and upset and maybe calm them down. When they're talking high, it makes no sense for you to try to match your volume to theirs. You lower yours and they'll have to lower theirs in order to hear you.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=507.0,539.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/24","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Adrienne Hawthorne: Right, right.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=539.0,541.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/25","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Karen Washington: So, yeah, so just staying calm and not taking anything personal, you know? Because it's not. It's the situation that they're upset about, not you.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=541.0,556.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/26","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Adrienne Hawthorne: Right, that's true. And now, words of wisdom for the public.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=556.0,566.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/27","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Karen Washington: OK. I'd say people don't realize that the library staff is there to assist them with their needs. They may not always be able to give them exactly what they want when they want it. It's not because they don't wanna help, it's because they're governed by rules that they have to live with. And they are there to help you, but sometimes things are out of their hands.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=566.0,599.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/28","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Adrienne Hawthorne: Thank you so much.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=599.0,601.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/29","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Karen Washington: You're welcome.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=601.0,602.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/30","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Adrienne Hawthorne: And I'd like to thank you for taking time to share these memories and reflections. And I look forward to hearing our interview on the other side from the Queens Memory website. Thank you.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=602.0,616.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/31","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Karen Washington: Thank you.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=616.0,617.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343/transcript/71443/annotation/32","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Adrienne Hawthorne: You're welcome.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1432/collection_resources/136648/file/253343#t=617.0,619.092"}]}]}]}