AUTHOR: Jonathan Loar
Jonathan (Jon) Loar is a South Asian reference specialist in the Asian Division of the Library of Congress. He received a doctorate in West and South Asian Religions from Emory University in 2016 and joined the Library later that year. His graduate coursework included lots of language study in Hindi, Marathi, and Sanskrit, and his dissertation focused on the life and legacy of Shirdi Sai Baba, an important saint who lived in what is today Maharashtra in western India about a century ago. In the Asian Division, Jon works with colleagues to manage and develop the South Asian collection and provides reference services in the Asian Reading Room. He also provides content review of the division’s research guides, assists in cataloging South Asian manuscripts, and enjoys learning about the Library’s institutional history.