Celia Rabinowitz is Director of the Library at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. She has been a CLS member for about 15 years.
What are you reading or listening to today?
Right now I am reading Barbara Kingsolver’s Flight Behavior which I have not gotten to yet. I just finished At the Bottom of Everything by Ben Dolnick. I am not a person who can read more than one book at a time. I am always in awe of people who tell me they are reading several books or novels at the same time. I am also looking at the latest issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education and losing the battle of trying to keep up with my blog reading on Feedly. I’ll admit to checking headlines online from the NY Times, Washington Post, and NPR several times a day. And I am rereading a pile of articles as I restart a research project. I have been listening to the Beatles since we just passed the 50th anniversary of their Ed Sullivan show appearance and today I also listened to some Cat Stevens and Stravinsky. I listen to the radio during my drive to work which is the only way to for me to be sure I know who Daft Punk is.
What’s the best part of your work day?
I usually love being at work. I arrive before we open and there is something magical about the library when it’s quiet just before we open (and I can work without the phone ringing!). But I also love the times during the day when I walk around the library and see students working, our bean bag chairs traveling to new locations, and the building generally being used and loved. I like the day I have my reference desk shift so I get to see and talk with lots of people. And I like getting out of my office to stop in to see librarians and library staff even if I don’t have anything specific to talk about. And, there is something comforting about when I leave the library regardless of what time it is because during the year, we are still open, and busy. It somehow feels good to me to leave with the place still so alive.
What are you most excited about right now (library-related or otherwise)?
Well – I am very excited that pitchers and catchers report to baseball spring training camps this week! In my library we are moving ahead with our Assessment in Action project and it is really fun (and a lot of work) to be able to see our project taking shape. The project includes our most of our library faculty and I realize that we have an amazing cohort of librarians, some of whom are new to us and more or less new to the profession. They all bring incredible energy, enthusiasm, and ideas to the table. So it is really exciting to think about how we will be changing and getting better. I think we are all concerned about how we’ll manage all the things we want to accomplish, but having a lot of ideas is a good challenge to have.
How has your membership in CLS helped you?
CLS has had a pivotal role in shaping and supporting my career, especially as a library director. The New Director Mentor program helped me in my first year and I became part of a cohort that is still connected. The Friday Night Feasts at ALA Annual are great ways to meet people and let to my first role as an elected member of the CLS leadership. For those of us committed to work in college libraries, CLS provides a home and a place for in-person and virtual conversation and professional development, and opportunities to contribute to librarianship.
Contact Celia at cerabinowitz@smcm.edu
Blog: https://librarysmcm.wordpress.com/author/cerabinowitz/
Follow Celia on Twitter: @cerabinowitz
LinkedIn: Celia Rabinowitz
CLS Member Spotlight 