Q&A with Laura Maloney

This article is from the fall 2022 issue of Hearsay, the semi-annual newsletter of the Wheat Law Library.

Laura Maloney recently joined the Wheat Law Library as our new circulation & serials manager. Director Chris Steadham sat down with Laura recently to ask some questions and show our readers why we are so excited to have her on board as the newest member of our staff. 

You recently began pursuit of an MLS at ESU. Can you tell us a little about why you are interested in librarianship as a career?

There are a multitude of reasons why librarianship interests me as a career. On a basic level, the library has always been one of my favorite places. Since I was a child, I found great joy and comfort among the stacks, with a wealth of entertainment at my fingertips. Not to mention I could check out whatever I wanted, for free! I’ve always been a big reader, and the library provided me with endless amounts of materials to consume. Not only do libraries provide entertainment, but they foster learning and give access to information. Nostalgia for the libraries of my childhood aside, I see libraries as places that promote education and protect freedom of information, and that is something that is very important to me. People have a right to information, and libraries are one of the only places that allow anyone to access it, free of charge. In general, libraries are one of the few remaining places that people can go just exist without the implication to spend money. I chose to get my MLS and pursue librarianship because I want to have a career that combines helping others learn, providing access to information, and being part of an educational community. Plus, I own a lot of cardigans! 

Have you found your position in the law library to be a good complement to your classes?

I have! I’m able to put some of the abstract concepts that I’m learning about in my classes into real life use at the library. It’s also been helpful in reverse situations, where I may need to visit a library for an assignment, it’s very easy to do that when I already work in one! Having the real life library experiences has been very valuable when it comes to my library classes. 

You hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts from KU and you previously held positions at Watson Library and the KU Center for Research. What have been some highlights of your time as a Jayhawk?  

I’ve jumped around a lot before coming to work at the Wheat Law Library. I got my undergrad at KU, then moved away for a few years where I worked various library and retail jobs. When I moved back, I got a full-time job at KU as a library assistant in the cataloging department at Watson Library. After that, I worked at KU Center for Research as an administrative associate. I learned that I really missed the library world, so I applied to the MLS program at Emporia State University, got accepted, and then got hired at the Wheat Law Library a month after starting on my MLS! I have been working at KU for about five years now. My favorite thing about being a Jayhawk is the community. Between leaving undergrad and coming back to KU as a full-time employee, I found that I missed the hustle and bustle of campus. I love the energy that campus gives off, and I find the KU community to be a place that I really fit in. 

Tell us a little bit about your role at the Wheat Law Library. What aspects have been enjoyable? What have some of the challenges been so far?

As the circulation and serials manager, I work at the circulation desk in the mornings, then the afternoons are spent in my office doing various “behind the scenes” library tasks or working on things in the stacks. So far, the biggest challenge has been familiarizing myself with law materials. I have a library background, but I do not have much knowledge of the law. So, the law materials have been a bit of a learning curve for me. The most enjoyable aspects have been the people. I had been working from home for 2.5 years prior to starting at the law library, and I forgot how nice it is to have the simple little moments with others. Smiling and exchanging a “good morning” with others really brightens my day. The students are a pleasure to work with, and I am enjoying being able to help them with their library needs. 

Welco