Getting to Know Dr. Kristen Howard
As we look outside the McLennan and Redpath windows, campus is buzzing with excitement as our newly-graduated students take a step into their future (congratulations to them!). But have you wondered what is going on the other side of these windows? Why we have welcomed a new member into our Humanities and Social Studies Library (HSSL) Community!
We are pleased to present Dr. Kristen Howard, a recent McGill graduate who will be taking up the position as Liaison Librarian for History and Classical Studies, and Government Information at HSSL.
During her Masters in Information Sciences at McGill, Kristen did a practicum at the Jewish Public Library where she curated the Lilly Toth Miniature Book Collection. This became one of her most prized projects.
Kristen is not only a historian, and a newly-crowned Liaison Librarian, but she is also an avid knitter! Previously, she collaborated with the McGill Library’s Rare Books and Special Collections to helm a number of workshops, such as Rare Stitches: Knitting Inspired by Illuminated Manuscripts and Knitting in Code with Kristen Howard. She speaks of the workshops as:
“… fun ways to use our library resources. I’m really interested in creative uses of Rare Books and Special Collections. Not everyone may have studied the Classics or Latin, but you can still appreciate the beauty of a Latin manuscript, even if you can’t read it. These workshops were a way to bring people who might never use a Latin manuscript because they can’t read it, and show them how beautiful it is, that it can inspire something”.
During that deep time in the pandemic when everyone shied away from reading apocalyptic literature, Kristen discovered one of her favourite book collections; the Lady Astronaut Series. It eloquently puts forth an alternate account of how we might have done space travel in the 1950s if women had received equal opportunities within the industry.
As a newly-admitted member of the HSSL community Kristen looks forward to working in collaboration with the faculty and students.
Please join us in welcoming Kristen to our library, we are excited to get to know her more! For questions related to classical studies, government documents, and history, feel free to reach out to kristen.howard@mcgill.ca for help.
