Humans of Pembroke - Mark, Alice & Sophie
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Mark Purcell, Bye-Fellow
I‘ve been a Bye-Fellow at Pembroke for nearly two and a half years, but my ‘day job’ is Deputy Director for Research Collections at the UL. That covers oversight of the staff who run the public services in the main building on West Road, as well as responsibility for the UL’s great historic collections (archives, manuscripts, early printed books, maps, music and global heritage collections), and for the team of curators, conservators and researchers who work with them.
What do you like/miss most about Pembroke?
Pembroke is very much a part of my daily life. I live about half a mile from college, and in normal times I pass by almost every day on my way to and from the UL. Membership of the Senior Parlour adds an extra dimension to being in Cambridge, and one that I very much value. It’s a place for conversations, for exploring ideas across subjects and disciplines, and for meeting new people. At this time of year I’m also missing the gardens (though our own small garden is also looking good. And of course I am missing the Wren Chapel. Usually I would be at Evensong on Sundays, and the summer is also the time when I am mostly likely to go and get the key to the organ - the time when other regular players are less likely to be around.
How have you been spending your time in lockdown?
The honest answer is that I have been working, and I have rarely worked harder in my life. The UL building is locked down (I supervised securing the collections in the last few days), but Cambridge libraries are very much open. My lockdown days are filled with phone calls and Teams meetings. We’ve put huge efforts into e-books and journals so that teaching and research can continue, and that has required a lot of planning, and lots of my team taking on different and sometimes unfamiliar tasks. Our curatorial team are also very busy. There has been massive progress on the University‘s new archive management system, for example - a huge project (Pembroke is a partner), as well as all sorts of behind-the-scenes work. This week, for example, I have attended a remote meeting of the Fitz’s Research Committee, compared notes with my equivalents in Oxford, Leiden, and Manchester, reviewed our approach to Google Arts and Culture, and chaired a meeting on an AHRC-funded programme called ‘Towards a National Collection’). Not least, like almost everyone else in Cambridge, I’m now involved in recovery planning how, and when, and in what phases we may be able to reopen access to physical collections, when it’s safe to do that.
What are you most looking forward to when this situation is over?
I’m mostly looking forward to seeing friends again (most weekends we are either away visiting, or we have house guests - who as often as not join me for dinner at Pembroke, or perhaps come for brunch). The opportunity to travel again can’t come too soon either, though I am not expecting much too soon.
Alice Oates, PhD Student
I'm a first-year PhD student in Polar Studies. I've only been a student at Pembroke since October last year, but I worked at Pembroke as College Recorder between September 2016 and June 2019, and I feel very attached to the place!
What do you like/miss most about Pembroke?
The people, absolutely. I've met some of my favourite people working and studying at Pembroke and I miss going into College and always bumping into someone I know.
How have you been spending your time in lockdown?
Aside from my PhD, lots of art and too much Netflix. I've been rediscovering my creative side and the joy of doing something pointless but fun on a sunny day. I love spending time in my garden, especially now that plants are beginning to come into flower.
What are you most looking forward to when this situation is over?
Brunch! I'm excited about the idea of any kind of food I haven't made myself, eaten in the company of people I don't live with, but there's something about the brunch experience that I can't replicate in my own home. It's also something that's always better with friends, and there are lots of people I associate with brunch who I'm looking forward to seeing again once this is over.
Sophie Harding, Library Trainee
My name is Sophie and I have been at Pembroke just under a year.
How have you been spending your time in lockdown?
My role has gone from one that's very forward-facing and interactive to one that's now just computer-based! Because I can't answer enquiries or physically handle the books, I'm doing a lot of record editing and trying to put together resource lists for students. I've finally started to get round to researching for my Trainee Display. I've been putting it off throughout the year because there were always more pressing things, but now I've got time to sit down and do it.
How have you found the transition to working from home?
I found it quite tough to start off with, it's a lot harder to concentrate in a house that's full of distractions. Now I'm in the swing of things I'm finding it a lot easier, and it's nice to have something to focus on.
What’s your top tip for working from home?
To definitely not work in your bedroom or a 'comfy' space in the house. I find that I just automatically switch into relax mode if I do that.
What do you most miss about not working in the College?
There's quite a few things, but if I had to choose I'd say the Upper Reading Room in the library. It's just a lovely space, and I love finding excuses to sneak up there.
Are there any books/film/TV series/music you’d recommend to your co-workers?
Money Heist on Netflix is a really fun binge if you have the time. I've definitely been using it to relax on the weekends.
Photos: Marck Purcell, Alice Oates, Upper Reading Room of Pembroke Library.