Photo courtesy of Shawn Miller, Library of Congress Photographer
Guest post by the RIPS-SIS PR & Recruitment Committee
Questions with Puron is an interview series of the RIPS PR & Recruitment Committee to highlight the diverse views and professional strategies of members of Research Instruction and Patron Services Special Interest Section (RIPS-SIS). Our beloved penguin mascot Puron poses a series of questions to one of the many librarians who make up RIPS. For this installment, Puron spoke with Linnea Eberhart, Research Services Librarian, George Mason University.
Puron: What brought you to law libraries?
My path to law libraries is a winding one, but happily I got here eventually! I’m what I like to call a “recovering lawyer.” Following law school, I practiced law in Orlando for a number of years first as a civil litigator and then as an intellectual property attorney. Although I was fortunate to work with amazing attorneys and clients, I wasn’t finding the work fulfilling or sustainable for a number of reasons.
I sat down and asked myself what DO you like about what you do now? I liked guiding new associates and educating clients about their copyright and trademark rights. I also still liked writing and learning about new developments in the law, although maybe not necessarily for the purpose of advancing an argument on a court ordered deadline. Then the follow up question – what job lets you do that without having to deal with billables? And, of course, the answer was law librarian! Fast forward through a mini existential crisis, quitting my job, and earning my MLIS, and here we are. I’m still new to the profession so it may just be the honey moon phase talking, but I have no regrets.
Puron: What do you love about being a law librarian?
I love that law librarians create an environment of risk-free learning in what can be an otherwise adversarial field. In the library, there are no looming court deadlines or opposing counsel waiting for you to make a mistake. There are no professors waiting to cold-call on you or future employers to impress. There are just the law librarians – people who have made it their mission to help you access and navigate the law. And they do this for everyone, even each other! As a new law librarian, I’ve greatly benefited from the guidance and support of my fellow librarians, and I hope I’ve been able to offer the same to the students and patrons I’ve worked with.
Puron: Do you have any advice for new or aspiring law librarians?
Coming from the perspective of someone who changed careers, be open to the experience and do your research! The law librarian role is a versatile one and there are librarians everywhere, even where you might least expect it. When I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do next, I set up all sorts of job alerts and comparing the descriptions in job posts to what I was interested in really helped me navigate the options available and determine that I wanted to be an academic law librarian. And if you’re at a firm and thinking about it, do it. There’s a reason you’re looking and I’m here to tell you it’s worth it.
Puron: What’s a professional achievement you’re proud of?
I’m proud to be a recent alum of the Library of Congress’s Librarian-in-Residence program, a fellowship designed for early career librarians. It’s what brought me to DC and really opened my eyes to what librarianship can be. I shared more about my experience in a blog post for the Library if you’re curious and if you know anyone currently in library school, spread the word – it’s an incredible opportunity!
Puron: What was the best vacation you ever took?
I’ve been on some pretty great trips, but my favorite will always be Hawaii with my family in 2008. My parents met when they were both stationed in Hawaii in the 80’s and it just so happened that their 20th anniversary fell on the same year as my high school graduation and my dad’s retirement from active duty so we went all out. I don’t know if they necessarily envisioned celebrating with all four kids in tow but we had a blast and even got to visit the pizza place where they met!
Puron: What’s a recent photo you took that makes you smile?
Technically, I didn’t take the photo – but I would have, if my nephew had arrived on time! He kept us all waiting an extra week past his due date, so I haven’t met him in person yet but the moment that first picture came through, I was grinning ear to ear. Since then, every photo my sister sends of my niece and nephew ends up everywhere —pinned to my fridge, framed on my desk, even as my phone background. And they never fail to make me smile.
Puron: What does instruction look like for you?
Instruction for me is a bit of a new frontier. I’ve dabbled with teaching in the past in a variety of roles and taken courses on instructional design, but my new role as a research services librarian at George Mason University Law Library has definitely expanded my experience with legal research instruction. We offer legal research courses across a variety of programs and I’ve had the opportunity now to teach several classes which has been a very rewarding experience.
I also think a lot of instruction happens in one-on-one reference meetings when you’re helping associates, students, or patrons click through different databases and talking about the strategies behind what you’re doing until things seem to magically “click.” Those are oftentimes my favorite moments of instruction and I want to be able to create that same experience in the classroom.
Puron: What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
One of the things I’ve enjoyed about being a librarian is that it’s given me time to reconnect with my hobbies, so I stay pretty active outside of work! I’m an avid consumer of media – books, TV shows, movies, you name it. I especially love science fiction and fantasy and I’m a collector of comic books and related memorabilia.
Since moving to the DMV area, I’ve also had a lot of fun exploring my new home. There’s so much to see, do, and eat here, plus the novelty of being able to jump on the Metro to travel between states still hasn’t worn off. Recently, I attended AwesomeCon which was an awesome (get it?) combination of both my love for pop culture and DC. I’m also looking forward to going to the Small Press Expo and National Book Festival again in September.
Puron: What is your favorite movie?
This might be the hardest question yet! Like I mentioned earlier, I love movies and I have a long list of favorites – but Galaxy Quest is consistently at the top of that list. As a die-hard Trekkie, I appreciate its tongue-in-cheek tribute to science fiction and fandoms, but also appreciate how the humor and storyline makes it accessible even for people who aren’t big into sci-fi. Plus, it has one of the best casts ever and some unforgettable lines, including the iconic and surprisingly inspirational “Never give up, never surrender!”
Puron: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I’ve been to some pretty amazing places already, but top of the bucket list has to be New Zealand – I’ve always wanted to visit Middle-earth! I just need to conquer the long flight to get there.
Puron: Share your favorite new (or new-to-you) resource for 2025!
It’s neither new, nor new-to-me at this point, but I began using Congress.gov extensively while at the Library of Congress and it continues to be one of my favorite resources. Want to track a current piece of legislation? Congress.gov. Need to contact your Congress members? Congress.gov. The Library of Congress is constantly working to maintain and update the information on the site, including digitizing centuries worth of historical records – the sheer volume of content they’ve made freely available online is mind-boggling. And fun fact, if you ask a librarian a question on Congress.gov, it goes to the Law Library of Congress!