Marvin Tillman, Warehousing A Library
Head of the Library Service Center dreams of being professional fisherman
Name: Marvin Tillman
Position: Manager, Library Service Center
Years at Duke: 11 years
What I do at Duke is: I'm the head of the off-site Library Service Center. We store most of the overflow books and materials for Duke University Libraries, along with University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, North Carolina Central University, Durham Public Libraries, and North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company. Although we look like a large warehouse, we operate just like a regular library. We provide all the same services as other libraries at Duke, only we pull all the materials for you here.
If someone wanted to start a conversation with me, they should ask me about: Sports, politics or just about anything. I'm very open for any kind of conversation.
My first ever job was: I worked on a farm picking fruits and vegetables. We'd pick strawberries, apples and beans, just about anything that grows on a tree or vine. I started when I was about 10 years old.
My dream job is: My dream job was to play professional football. I played semi-pro and I boxed professionally. I always wanted to make it to the NFL. Now my dream job is to be a professional fisherman. I love salt water and deep sea fishing. I've become a die-hard salt-water fisherman since moving to North Carolina.
The best advice I ever received was: `Treat people how you'd want to be treated.' The first person to say that to me was a principal in elementary school.
What I love about Duke is: I love the atmosphere, the sports and the people I deal with on a daily basis. I really enjoy the great reputation that Duke has. Just being a part of that makes me feel great about working here.
When I'm not at work, I like to: Fish and watch my kids play sports. My son is a very good basketball and football player and my daughters are good basketball players and they also run track. They're all very competitive, and I love watching them compete.
If I could have one superpower, it would be: I'd want to fly. I've always had dreams where I could fly. It's always been something where I'll find myself waking up from a dream where I was flying.
Something most people don't know about me is: Growing up, I stayed in a lot of trouble. As I've gotten older and matured, I turned away from that. Now I use my experiences to help other young men and women avoid what I went through in life. I talk with kids at church, around the city and I've gone into prisons to talk to men and women there. Working here at Duke is a great accomplishment. I use what I overcame to come to Duke as an example. I tell others that if you do the right thing and stay out of trouble, they too can do great things.