Al Podboy Jr.
Director of Libraries
Baker & Hostetler LLP - Cleveland, OH
How I Became A Law Librarian
AALL Spectrum February, 2003
I'm almost afraid to say this because it sounds trite, but as a boy, I liked books. I liked books, from novels such as Black Beauty and Swiss Family Robinson to the World Book Encyclopedia. As I grew older, I loved the library and thought of librarians as guardians of knowledge, but I never thought of becoming a librarian until law school.
While attending Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, I needed money and a job. Luckily the law library also needed workers. And work I did — every hour available. I was a filer, a shelver and a circulation assistant. I provided "low-level" reference assistance. And I loved it.
The librarians and the staff became my friends and support group. The librarian was my favorite faculty member, a model scholar and my mentor.
CWRU allowed law students to take two courses "outside" the law school. I chose two at CWRU's world-renowned library school. They involved early explorations of computer applications and information storage and retrieval. By the time I graduated from law school, I was bitten by the law librarian bug.
As I approached graduation, I discussed a law librarian career with my mentor. He recommended that I practice law first, which I did. But a few years later, I literally answered his call and have been loving it ever since.
For More Information About Law Librarianship or the AALL Recruitment Committee, contact committee chair Sarah Mauldin.