5 Questions with a Loon – Karen Oesterle

Posted on May 1, 2019 by Melissa Sievers

Karen Oesterle

New Member!
Title: Head of Reference
Library: The New York Law Institute
Location: New York City
Website: http://www.nyli.org

Five Questions

1. Favorite thing about your job? I love the chance to do reference work interspersed with physical labor. We have recently downsized our collection and sent many boxes to LLMC for preservation and broader use, and it was fabulous to sort through and box up old works from England, Scotland, Ireland, and the US. We likewise sorted through bar association reports from the 1800s and early 1900s and shared those with bar associations and historical societies. For me, it’s all about finding answers for our members and new homes for unused items.

2. If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why? I would dearly love to clone myself, as there is never enough time to do everything I want to do or see everything I want to see. If one could travel, one could work, one could read, that would be perfect!

3. Favorite quote? “Life is short and we do not have much time to gladden the hearts of those who journey with us. So be swift to love and make haste to be kind.” –Henri Frederic Amiel.

4. Favorite book? I reread To Kill a Mockingbird every few years.

5. Last photo you took with your phone? Rice fields in Ha Long Bay, photo taken from the bus on the way to the airport to fly home.

Posted in 5 Questions | Tagged | Leave a comment

5 Questions with a Loon – Nina Scholtz

Posted on April 24, 2019 by Melissa Sievers

Nina Scholtz

Title: Director for Research & Instruction; Adjunct Professor of Law
Library: Cornell University Law Library
Location: Ithaca, NY
ALLUNY Position: President 2018-2019

Five Questions:

1. How long did it take you to become a librarian? About 26 years. I first thought about it when I worked in a library when I was in high school. I actually started my MLIS program when I was 42. Along the way, I went to law school and practiced law for 15 years. I love that I use both my degrees in my work.

2. Favorite thing about living in upstate New York? I drive past a waterfall on my way to work every day. This symbolizes for me just how beautiful it is here. As an almost life-long Californian before I moved to Ithaca, ample water is a thing of beauty to me. (And the ice cream is fabulous here, too!)

3. Last news alert you forwarded? I have a news alert set up for my pro surfer nephew. He recently won the “Heavy Water” award (for surfing big waves) from Surfing Australia. My mother loves hearing when he is in the news, so I always forward this kind of alert to her.

4. Favorite book series from childhood? Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books. Laura lived what seemed such an exotic life as a pioneer. Also, she was born almost exactly 100 years before I was, which I felt gave us a special connection. My parents gave me the set for Christmas one year, and I devoured them.

5. Dream house? It is surrounded by attractively landscaped plants that I don’t have to take care of, as I have a black thumb. Sunshine fills the rooms, which have many, many shelves for books, records, and CDs. And a body of water (could be an ocean or a lake) is right outside the back door.

Posted in 5 Questions | Tagged | Leave a comment

By the Numbers

Posted on April 19, 2019 by Melissa Sievers

As we approach the Spring Institute and wrap up our membership renewal campaign, we gain some insight into who our members are. Below are some facts and figures to break it down. Most notably, we have gained seven new members this year. Welcome!

Membership Year: January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019

Membership Types & Cost:

  • Active $30
  • Associate $30
  • Student $15
  • Free (Currently unemployed and Life Members) $0

The majority of our members are actively employed librarians. We don’t hear from our Life Members every year, so this may account for the smaller than expected number there.
Nearly half our members work in an academic setting. About one quarter are law firm or special librarians. One fifth work in the courts or government libraries.

If you haven’t renewed your membership yet, there’s still time! Sign up online using PayPal or print the membership form and mail it in with your check. Membership entitles you to discounts on ALLUNY events and gives you access to the Listserv for news, networking, and advice, as well as the Members Only section of the website.

Posted in News | Tagged | Leave a comment