Law Library News (archived): A New Librarian

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In January 2022, a new librarian started at the David C. Shapiro Memorial Law Library. Rachel Ford is the new Resources Management Librarian and Assistant Professor, and though much of her work takes place in the back of the library, feel free to say hello or send her an email, especially if you'd like help with finding or accessing any resources you need.

Here are her responses to a few getting-to-know-you questions:

What did you do before starting at the NIU Law Library?

I was an Electronic Resources Librarian at Aurora University, which is a small academic library where everyone wears many hats. Besides working with eResources, I oversaw interlibrary loan and circulation, acted as liaison librarian for the School of Education, provided library instruction for undergrads and graduate students, and answered a lot of reference questions. My biggest project was directing our library system migration, which went live during the summer of 2020 at the height of pandemic uncertainty: thanks to the statewide CARLI consortium leading the way, the process went relatively smoothly. Still, it was quite a challenge!

Why did you become a librarian?

I was a student assistant in my college archives as an undergrad, and my supervisor suggested I consider becoming a librarian or archivist. Once I'd decided not to become an English professor, librarianship was the ideal alternative! Since then, I've worked in a variety of library settings, both public and academic, and while I enjoyed the vibrancy of public libraries, I felt more drawn to academic spaces, where librarians directly support learners and future leaders.

I love how librarianship is all about facilitating the pursuit of knowledge, making resources available to the widest audiences possible, and encouraging library users to become successful in whatever goal they're pursuing. Here at the Law Library, I look forward to helping law students and faculty access all the resources they need to study and research important issues. What they're learning and studying today will ultimately make a difference for their clients and for society, and I'm excited to assist them in their endeavors.

What do you do when you're not working?

Libraries aren't just about books anymore, which is a change for the better, but I'm personally all about books and reading in most genres and every format--traditional print, eBooks, graphic novels, and audiobooks. With the longer commute, I'm also enjoying listening to more podcasts. All that audio pairs well with my other hobbies of cooking, baking, and hiking. I also love spending time with my family (as an aunt to four great kids) and spoiling my cats.