Meet the Returning IACRL Secretary/Treasurer: Ted Schwitzner
September 24, 2025
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Interviewed by Sue Franzen, Illinois State University
Q. As an academic librarian, which skills do you frequently use?
A. The bulk of my professional experiences are in technical services, cataloging and technology. That said, I find that I frequently use my reference desk interview skills in getting people the best answers possible to their questions.
Q. Through the years, which ILA or IACRL committee has enriched your professional life the most?
A. I served on the ILA Executive Board several years ago, and that helped me frame my academic library experiences with those of the broader library community. More recently, I served on the ILA Annual Conference 2022 Planning Committee, and that offered the same opportunities to connect with energetic professionals at all stages of their careers from all types of libraries. It’s a unique opportunity in ILA, given that each year’s planning committee is different from the last. Give this a shot if you have a chance.
Q. What advice do you have for early career librarians?
A. Thinking about who I was early in my career, advice that would have helped me is to remember the privilege involved in my position and in my degree, and to acknowledge the corresponding obligation to recognize and respect professionalism and expertise in all library employees. As academic library professionals--even as many libraries are now one of several services in a building, working alongside student services, tutoring, and tech help--everyone is there for the students first and foremost. They deserve a team that respects each other.
Q. Which shows/books that you have been binge watching/reading recently?
A. I’m not sure it counts as binging, but I’m watching more baseball games on MLB TV recently. I love baseball in the fall as the season nears the playoffs.
Q. If you received a surprise day off, how would you spend it?
A. Weather permitting, I might drive somewhere within 2-3 hours of home, perhaps to a museum or park, especially if my spouse also got the same surprise day off. Otherwise, I’d play with my cats a bit more and then get a few extra hours in on my current MMO.
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