Today’s interview is with Katherine Palazzolo, 2025 Librarian-in-Residence in the Public Services Division in the Law Library of Congress.
Describe your background:
I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, where I still have many friends and family. My parents both love reading, and growing up they made sure that books and libraries were a part of my daily life. Our local public library played a huge part in my childhood, and I would often visit several times a week to check out materials or enjoy a library event.
I have lived in Washington, D.C. for more than a decade and feel lucky to have found another place to call home that, like my hometown, has so many free attractions and great libraries!
What is your academic/professional history?
I came to librarianship after a career as an attorney. Prior to my current position, I spent more than a decade working as a legal services attorney. Helping people to realize their capabilities when they accessed information was extremely rewarding and led me to my current career in librarianship.
I have a Bachelor of Arts in history from Truman State University, a Juris Doctor from Case Western Reserve University, and a Master of Science in library and information science from The Catholic University of America. While I was a student at Catholic University, I worked in reference and instruction at its main academic library, Mullen Library. It was a great experience to learn about librarianship in class and then apply what I learned the next day at work!
How do you describe your job to other people?
I am one of eight current Librarians-in-Residence at the Library of Congress, a program providing early-career librarians opportunities to gain meaningful work experience at the Library of Congress while supporting its mission and work.
I work in the Law Library of Congress as a librarian in reference and instruction.
To me, a reference and instruction librarian is best summarized as a navigator helping people to find and choose paths to their information destinations. I like to describe libraries as portals to human knowledge, providing access and context to information. Law libraries provide access to legal information, and it is an incredible privilege to be able to contribute to the work of the United States Congress and support public access to this information.
Why did you want to work at the Library of Congress?
The Library of Congress has the unique position of directly serving the United States Congress as well as members of the public. Everyone here is an expert in their field, and it is incredible to work with them while also having access to such an astounding number of resources. As a Librarian-in-Residence, I am not only able to engage with these experts and incredible resources, but I am also able to apply what I learn from my amazing fellow Librarians-in-Residence every day.
What is the most interesting fact that you’ve learned about the Library?
While you may know that the Library of Congress is part of the legislative branch of the U.S. government, I was impressed to learn that the Law Library of Congress also serves several federal agencies and the Supreme Court, in addition to the general public. The Law Library owes this unique position to the Act of Congress that created it in 1832.
What’s something that most of your co-workers don’t know about you?
Growing up, my family went on many road trips exploring America. As a result, I have visited 44 states with six states left scattered throughout the nation. I love traveling and exploring the wonderful communities and beautiful nature we have, and I hope to make time to explore some more states soon!
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