Meet a Librarian: Joe Hurley
Who is Joe?
Joe Hurley is a GIS and Data Services librarian. He’s also the subject librarian for the Department of Geosciences and the Urban Studies Institute. He provides support for GIS data and digital mapping applications as well as demographic data applications. He’s involved with creating digital resources that support the study and teaching of urban change in the Atlanta region. He considers himself to be highly fortunate that his position allows him to combine his interest in urban history, urban studies, digital projects, and digital mapping. He especially enjoys sharing and teaching about our unique Atlanta-focused digital collections and projects with students, faculty, and the community.
He has a BA and an MA in history and an MLIS. He’s also working on another graduate degree in the History and Sociology of Technology and Science at Georgia Tech.
Fun Facts about Joe:
He’s a supporter of alternative transportation and regularly rides his cargo bike to work with his son, who goes to the GSU daycare center. He’s a co-founder of the Decatur Bicycle Coalition, a group that advocates for a network of protected bike lanes throughout Decatur and beyond. The group strongly believes that riding bikes should be safe for everyone, from school-aged children to elderly residents. If you don’t see him riding his orange cargo bike to work, he’s probably riding on the train.
It’s a good thing that he rides his bike to work, because he has a soft spot for pastries and can’t pass up a good bakery. Luckily his wife is from Germany, and he gets to satisfy his pastry cravings every year in Germany because there is a bakery on almost every German street corner.