Julie is the Faculty Scholarship and Educational Technology Librarian at Chicago-Kent.
I manage three full-time faculty support specialists, run the institutional repository, provide Blackboard assistance, and teach advanced Word skills and other technology-related topics.
Where did you grow up, and where else have you lived before coming to Chicago? Do you have a favorite among those places?
My favorite place among the places I have lived is Pittsburgh, where I lived most of my life. I went to college in Johnstown, Pa., and worked in New York City for a year. In addition, I spent a semester in London.
What led you to become a law librarian?
My first job out of graduate school was working as an academic librarian. After my library was merged into a larger library, I decided to go to law school. While in law school, I also finished up a second master’s degree in information science. I always considered someday returning to an information field.
I worked as a lawyer for about 16 years. I wanted to find something a little less stressful after paying off my loans and saving a bit of a nest egg. Writing and research have always been my passions, so I decided to return to librarianship. It was difficult finding a job since I had been out of the field for so long. Eventually, I succeeded. My first job was at Duquesne University, and I started working at Chicago-Kent last year.
What are some of your favorite hobbies?
Photography, hiking, and reading.
Watching movies is another hobby. I recently became a member of the Music Box Theater. During this time of year, I like to watch all the Oscar Best Picture nominees and as many of the shorts and documentary nominees as I can track down.
Last year, I completed an online certificate in instructional design at Georgetown. I hadn’t attended school for twenty years, but I loved it. I recently completed a couple leadership certificates at Cornell as well as certificate programs from Instructure (Canvas) and Quality Matters. Being an online student is an emerging hobby!
Where’s your favorite place to travel? Where have you not visited that you want to visit the most?
I don’t have a favorite spot. I got married last year, and I’m going on a delayed honeymoon to Prague and Budapest later this year. So maybe those would be my favorites.
I’d like to travel more in the U.S. I’d also like to go to St. Petersburg, Russia.
What do you like most about living in Chicago (so far)?
Living in Andersonville has been a great experience. Houses are beautiful, there are lots of creatively-decorated little libraries, and brunch options are plentiful. According to Time Out, Andersonville is the coolest neighborhood in the United States and the second coolest in the world.
My husband and I are both near family, which is another benefit of living in Chicago.