May Member Profile: Lorie Kloda

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CAPAL’s member profile for May is Lorie Kloda, Associate University Librarian, Planning & Community Relations at Concordia University.

photo of Lorie Kloda

What are you reading right now (professional or personal)? What is it about?

I just finished How To Do Nothing by Jenny Odell. I’ve been working my way through it for the past few months and it’s very timely. Odell is an artist and writer, and she writes very well about being deliberate about how we choose to spend our time (and our energy, our money). I think some people assume her book is going to be about technology and how to get away from social media, but its scope is much more vast and nuanced.

What would you be if you weren’t a librarian?

I have no idea. I was planning to apply to law school after my undergrad and I even took the LSATs, but I literally tossed the applications in the recycling and decided to go to library school instead. So maybe I would be a lawyer? Hard to imagine.

Tell us about a typical day at work.

I suppose my typical day of work should be different now that we’re in the midst of a pandemic and the entire country is physically distancing. Surprise! It’s mostly the same. Most days I attend several meetings, many of them internal to the library and university. If I have chunks of time in between meetings, I try to schedule myself to make progress on projects requiring serious focus. But truly typical days usually involve doing bits and pieces of work and following up on meetings via email and conversations.

What were you doing before you started your current work position?

Before I am became an Associate University Librarian, I worked in various roles in academic and hospital libraries. I also did a PhD in Information Studies, and for a few years worked as a research assistant.

Weigh in: is CAPAL pronounced ‘capple’ or ‘ca-pal’?

Depends on what day of the week it is.