Meet Susanna Eng-Ziskin the First-Year Experience Librarian here at the
Oviatt. She is the library liaison for U100, so some of you may have already
met this upbeat, funny librarian. Read below to learn more about where she’s from, her favorites, and why she became a librarian.
Where are you originally from?
My family is Swedish, and so I was born in a small town in Sweden, and spent my life moving around with my family. Growing up, we lived in Sweden, England, NY, Ohio, the Netherlands, and Brazil. Moving around a lot, and not always speaking the language where I lived, was simultaneously a difficult and rewarding experience. At a young age I was exposed to lots of different people, cultures, and languages, and for that I am extremely grateful.
What do you like/admire most about CSUN students?
I find most of our students to be remarkably down to earth, genuine people. I
love working with them, either in a classroom setting, or one on one at the
reference desk.
What’s your favorite book or your top 5?
My list is constantly in flux. If I had to pick a favorite it would be Jane
Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I find myself re-reading it every few years
and always finding something new in it. Other favorites (in no particular
order) include, but are not limited to:
Geek Love, by Katherine Dunn
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, by Seth Grahame-Smith
Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon
Sandman Slim, by Richard Kadrey
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, by Christopher Moore
What songs would you include on the soundtrack of your life?
I feel the Earth Move, by Carole King
http://youtu.be/wR4tc1C-NrE
Celebrate, by Mika
Ain’t That A Kick in the Head, by Dean Martin
Ice, Ice, Baby (It’s terrible, but it’s my go to karaoke song)
Why did you become a librarian?
I worked in my college library, first as a student employee in the circulation
department, and then as a full time evening supervisor. I loved working in a
library and helping connect students and faculty with the information they
needed. I had a great boss who encouraged me to apply for graduate school to
become a librarian, which I didn’t even realize was necessary at the time.
What do you wish every student knew about the library or librarians?
Students are never interrupting us when they come to get help at the Reference
Desk. If it looks like we’re involved in a deep discussion with our colleagues,
please interrupt us. We’re out there specifically to help you!
What’s your favorite quote?
“Do. Or do not. There is no try.” Yoda (Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back)
Is there a specific class that you really enjoy doing library instruction for?
University 100. I love working with Freshmen and I get to see the U100 students
twice in the same semester, so I feel like I can have a greater impact that
way, and get to know the students better.
If you could meet anyone living or dead who would it be?
I’d really like to go back and meet my great grandmother in her prime. She died
when I was really young, and by the time I knew her, dementia had taken over.
From all accounts, though, she was a thoroughly modern woman, far ahead of her time. I would have loved to have known her. Or maybe Paul Newman – he was rad.
If you could learn any skill what would it be?
I’d love to be able to whistle properly.
If you could be any fictional character who would it be?
Elizabeth Bennett (Pride & Prejudice).
