17-25 Organize
Fit, with a slight receding hairline and horn-rimmed glasses, Hessler has a degree from Villanova University in mathematics and engineering and a reading knowledge of Latin and ancient Greek. The part of his job he loves most is studying the ancient drawings and examining the mathematics and philosophies behind them. His current obsession is the Library of Congress's most expensive purchase ever: the $10 million, 1507 world map by Martin Waldseemuller, which was the first to include shapes of North and South America and the first to be labeled with the name "America." Hessler has examined Waldseemuller's techniques and mathematical calculations, as well as his Latin writings, to determine exactly how the mapmaker knew what he did in 1507. "To have the run of a collection this size is something very few people have the privilege to do," Hessler says. "And I like that I don't have to work with the public at all. I only interact with the materials and my colleagues. And rarely my colleagues."
Tours come through the vault on occasion, and he does have reason to consult with the division's curator and collection manager. But for the most part, Hessler is left alone to go about his shelving and research as he wishes. He often returns to his desk before lunch to find no new E-mails or voice mails. "It's a low-pressure job," he says.
Neat by nature. Hessler--who has done stints at the National Archives and the Smithsonian Institution--says he isn't surprised he ended up working for the Library of Congress. He met his wife while working for a bookstore in Manhattan, and the couple spends at least one weekend per month back in New York, strolling through the city's used bookstores. He admits that he "moves stuff around" in the shops when he sees books out of place, but he insists his obsession for order does not extend beyond books.
Still, the minimalist decor in his apartment, his tidy desk at work, and the way he measures out ingredients in individual dishes before fixing dinner suggest otherwise. It's the way he has always been, he says, not the way he has become by imposing organizational policies on himself. And he says he has made a habit of it simply to improve his lifestyle. "The only reason I organize everything is to get the crappy stuff out of the way," Hessler says. "Being organized allows you to have larger chunks of time to do what you want to do."
Hessler's words of wisdom for those who might be struggling to keep things in order? "Always be flexible," he says. "Whatever system you have set up, remember not to rely on it too heavily, because it may need to be changed." The filing system for the library's maps was created around the turn of the 20th century, so Hessler has little control over its change. Still, he recognizes its flaws and adjusts accordingly. He finds himself regularly looking for an item that isn't where it should be, and he's learned quite a bit of what he calls the "psychology of misplacing."
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