LCCN, Nov. 28, 2012
ISSN 2324-6464
LCCN: Interview with Shantha Murthy
By Rick Fitzgerald on July 23, 2012
Today we are taking the time to introduce you to one of the individuals
who works in ABA. While our "day in the life" series focuses on the work
of an individual, that type of article is focused first on the job that
that person performs. In this interview, we are introducing you to the
person, Shantha Murthy, Librarian Cataloger of the Southeast Asia and
South Asia Section of the Asian and Middle Eastern Division of ABA.
*Tell us a bit about your career before coming to LC.*
Prior to coming to the Library I worked at the New York Public Library
in the Rogers and Hammerstein Recorded Sound Archives, Performing Arts
Research Center at Lincoln Center, cataloging Western and Indian musical
recordings. I once performed and demonstrated Indian music at Lincoln
Center! I have also worked at the /Wall Street Journal/ Library
cataloging business research material, and at the Brooklyn Museum
Library cataloging art research material.
I graduated Queens College in New York in 1985 with my MLS. I also have
an MA in Linguistics from the University of Bangalore, and an MA in
vocal music from the Music Academy of India. I also have bachelor’s
degrees in education, liberal arts, and instrumental music.
*How long have you been at the Library? What areas have you worked in?*
I was interviewed in December of 1990 and started with the Library in
1991. I started in the Serial Record Division as a serials cataloger. I
worked there for 18 years as a serials cataloger when the ABA
reorganized and I was placed into the Asian and Middle Eastern Division,
in South East Asia and South Asia section. I have also worked in the
former Special Materials Cataloging Division's Music section as a
cataloger of books, scores, and sound recordings in Indian languages,
and in the Asian Division as a reference librarian.
*Speaking of Indian languages -- How many languages do you speak? For
what languages do you process collections?*
My mother tongue is Kannada. In addition, I speak Telugu very well, I
can even write poems in Telugu! Tamil I can speak as well as Hindi, and
a little bit of Bengali.
In addition to these, I can read (and can therefore catalog Library
collections in) the following Indian languages:
Assamese, Awadhi, Bhojapuri, Bihari, Brahui, Braj, Divehi, Dogri,
Gadaba, Garhwali. Gujarati, Gujari, Himachali, Hindustani, Jayapuri,
Kashmiri, Kodagu, Kolami, Konkani, Lambadi, Limbu, Lushai, Maithili,
Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Marwari, Mewari, Mopla, Oriya, Pali,
Punjabi, Prakrit, Rajasthani, Sanskrit, Toda, and Tulu. Also, I read a
little Tibetan, Nepali, and Sinhalese.
I can read Punjabi in the Gurmukhi script, and Dogri and Kashmiri when
written in Devanagari - but I cannot read these languages when they are
in Persian script. I cannot read Persian. I also do not read Sindhi,
Urdu, or Pushto, but I will process materials in all of these languages
with help.
I also process materials in the languages of Southeast Asia (Burmese,
Thai, Malay, Indonesian, Vietnamese, etc.) with the help of other
language experts like myself.
Aside from materials in all of these languages, I have also cataloged
Western music in all Western European languages. In addition to books
and periodicals. I have also cataloged CDs, albums, microfiche,
microfilm, manuscripts -- you name it, I’ve cataloged it!
*What are some of the most enjoyable parts of your work?*
I enjoy transliterating the various Indian writing systems into the
Roman alphabet, known as romanization. For example, the same sound in
different languages is transliterated into the Roman alphabet differently.
For example, take the name of the famous monk Vivekananda. From
Assamese, Bengali, Manipuri, Oriya, and Northeastern Indian languages,
his name is transliterated to Roman as "Bibekānanda." However, from
Punjabi and Dogri, it is transliterated to "Wiwekānanda"; from Kannada,
Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and other Dravidian languages it is
"Vivēkānanda"; and from all other Indo-European languages, like Hindi,
Gujarati, Marathi, etc. it is "Vivekānanda".
Another thing I enjoy are the commendations I receive. For example, my
name is mentioned in the Library of Congress publication /India/ due to
my language consultancy work. Also, I have received several appreciation
letters and merit awards. Even my commuter bus gave me a certificate –
by the way I ride the LC (Loudoun County) bus to work. How fitting!
I also write acrostic poems for fun. I often give them as gifts to the
various groups I come into contact with here at the Library, as well as
my current and former sections.
Most of all I enjoy working with my colleagues and my supervisors here
at LC, and I am very happy when I am recognized for my performance.
Melanie Polutta
Library of Congress
LCCN Editor
