Librarian & Library Staff Biographies: Danielle Walkup, Research Services Librarian

Research Services Librarian (as of Sept 2021). 

Master of Science in Information and Library Science, University at Albany. 

Master of Science in Adult Education with microcredentials in Online Teaching & Grant Writing, SUNY Buffalo State College. 

I was a freshman at SUNY Adirondack in 2015. During that time, I applied to be a student worker in the SUNY Adirondack Library. When I was hired, I knew this was the place I wanted to start a career. Once I graduated from SUNY Adirondack in 2017, I interviewed for the part-time Library Specialist position and was hired. During my time in this role, I attended the SUNY Plattsburgh Branch Campus at SUNY Adirondack. I received my bachelor's degree in 2019 and shortly after was hired as a full-time Library Services Assistant. Within this role, I decided I wanted to further pursue my education and a career within librarianship. So, I decided to pursue getting a master's degree in library science. I worked full-time and went to school full-time during the pandemic. I received my Master's in Information and Library Science in August 2021 from UAlbany, and shortly after was hired as a Research Services Librarian. After a break from schooling for one semester, I decided to go back to school to earn another degree to help me advance in my career. I pursued another master's program but this time in Adult Education. I completed the degree program in December 2023. At this time, I am considering a PhD program, but unsure of where or what track I would like to pursue. 

Education was a battle for me throughout my middle and high school years. I struggled with dyslexia and ADHD throughout my education. I was placed in AIS English courses throughout my middle school years due to dyslexia (and this made me despise reading- even to this day I will not pick up a book for enjoyment). I also struggled in mathematics and sciences throughout my educational journey. While I was in high school I really was unsure of what I should do as I thought education wasn't a strong suit for me. I looked into joining the Coast Guard as I felt this was my calling for once I graduated high school. However, flat footedness is considered a disability and I could not pursue this path. After this discovery, I decided to enroll at SUNY Adirondack to try to earn a college degree (and well, you know how this story ends). My grades at SUNY Adirondack were not the best as I still had a high school mentality( I thought I would just pass through college like I did in high school without trying). My experience at SUNY Plattsburgh for my bachelor's really helped open my eyes to education being a positive thing with the right encouragement. A major shift occurred within my education at this point as I pursued a degree path that was intriguing to me. I found the coursework to be engaging and interesting (not forced or dull). Once all of the SUNY Gen Ed requirements were completed, that was when I really took off with finding courses that interested me. My GPA became something that I dreamed of once I entered my two master's programs. I never was a top student in K-12, or even my undergraduate studies. But my graduate studies is where I flourished. 

I am a big advocate for going outdoors and exploring. During the COVID-19 shutdown, I spent a lot of my time outside. My husband's favorite hobby is fishing so I decided to join. 

One of my other favorite outdoor activities is hiking. Also during the shutdown I was able to go hiking more on local trails. I grew up near the Vermont border, so I went to Haystack Mountain in Vermont. Below is a photo of me on the mountaintop. 

Finn is considered to be a Black Tri Aussie and River is a Blue Merle. A black tri Australian Shepherd is one of the most common color patterns, while a blue merle is more rare to find. Blue merle aussies are becoming more popular as people love their markings. Just like many other Australian Shepherds, (Aussies for short), Finn and River have docked tails. Aussies are bred to be herding dogs. Although they are called Australian Shepherds, they actually originate from America. They have an impulse to herd just about anything (birds, squirrels, small children, cattle, etc.). Aussies are not meant for novice owners! They have a strong work drive and if those needs are not met- then you may have a destructive Aussie! But don't let that information scare you away- they are highly intelligent and easily trainable dogs. They make great companions for anyone who lives an active lifestyle. Aussies are also very loyal to their owners. True to their herding instincts, they are very protective of their families- but not aggressive. They are just very vocal (and sassy)! 

One of my favorite memories was going to Glacier National Park in Montana. This sparked my interest in exploring more National Parks and becoming a National Park Geek. Kyle and I traveled to Montana in August of 2018. During our time at Glacier National Park, our views were extremely limited due to wildfires in California. After visiting this National Park, I decided that one of my life goals is to travel to as many National Parks as I can within my lifetime. In 2022, I plan on visiting Acadia National Park in Maine. Below, is a photo of Kyle and I at Glacier National Park- which may be one of my favorite photos of all time. 

My husband and I have a huge collection of reptiles. In our spare time, we love going to reptile expos, NERD, or other well known reptile events/stores. Caring for animals is something that him and I bond over quite a bit. When we first met, Kyle had a leopard gecko that I was absolutely obsessed with (she is actually our oldest in our collection as she is estimated to be around the age of 13). Shortly after meeting Kyle's leopard gecko, I went and got one (and he is 7 years old). The collection has popped off ever since! We are both very involved with researching care and understanding the responsibility of owning reptiles. Reptiles live a VERY long time (our collection will out live Finn and River) and are a 20+ year commitment. However, it's a super fun hobby and it is super exciting to create bioactive enclosures to each reptiles needs.

Below are some photos that I have of some of our reptiles. If you ever want to learn more about them, feel free to contact me! 

Above, is a photo of Zion, and he is a ball python. He is a little over a year old. I purchased him on MorphMarket in May of 2023. Zion is a fire black pastel banana yellow belly ball python (no I did not make up all of those words- I promise)! He is one of the 5 ball pythons I own. I NEVER used to like snakes, but once I was introduced to a ball python and heard them be referred to as "danger noodles" I realized there's absolutely nothing to be scared of. Ball pythons are very common within the reptile community. They come in a variety of colors and morphs. The standard enclosure size for an adult ball python is a 4x2x2 (120 gal). Each of our ball pythons have a bioactive set up (meaning that each tank has living elements to work together for a ecosystem). 

Above, is my Venezuelan Paraguana Peninsula Locality Boa named Grey. This type of boa is extremely rare within the reptile community! But don't worry, as he is captive bred (not wild caught). The parents of this boa were produced by Vin Russo- who is a very popular individual within the reptile community. I purchased Grey from Rich Hunt in September of 2023. This type of boa gets to be about the size of an adult ball python. His coloring is considered to be anerythristic- which is very impressive! Grey is currently housed in a 36x18x18 (50 gal) enclosure but will be moved into a 4x2x2 once he grows a bit more. 

Above is my Northern Blue Tongue Skink (BTS) named Indo (short for Indoraptor from Jurassic Park). Basically, if you want a reptile that acts like a dog, but with a bit of attitude- then a BTS is the winner! I purchased Indo form MorphMarket and he is about double the size from this photo. These reptiles have such interesting personalities! BTS require a 4x2x2 enclosure as well when they reach full adult size. Indo is currently in an adult size enclosure as he grew very quickly. BTS's eat quite a variety of food- but a staple to their diet is moist dog food- yes dog food! It is a good source of protein and mixed veggies.