New Library Director Looks Forward to Welcoming Chargers to the Library

The lifeblood of the University of New Haven are the faculty and staff members who dedicate their lives to helping our students reach their goals. Periodically, we’ll introduce you to a member of the staff so you can learn more about them – beyond their day-to-day work.

Next up is Lauren Slingluff, M.S., the Peterson Library’s new director, who, as a college student, spent more time backstage than in her school’s library, before discovering her career path as a librarian.

Renee Chmiel: What have you enjoyed the most about this summer?

Lauren Slingluff: This summer has been great for tackling special projects. We’re really excited about some improvements we’ve made to the library with signage and updates to the collection. I’m hoping that when everyone returns for the semester, they’ll be excited for the book displays on the main level. Being new to the University I’ve also loved the opportunity to meet more of the members of the community and to work with all the library staff on our special projects.

RC: What do you like to read?

LS: I fit the stereotype of a librarian, as I do love to read, and I read a lot! I’m well on my way to reading 200 books this year, and with my long commute, I do a lot of audiobooks. My favorite genres are cozy mysteries, fantasy, and nonfiction. Earlier this summer, I read a great book called “Eating to Extinction” by Dan Saladino about endangered foods and ingredients. I always love learning something new. I’ve also been trying to convince everyone to read the series “Murderbot Diaries” by Martha Wells. It’s science fiction novellas with a fun and snarky main character (who is, in fact, a robot).

RC: Do you have any pets?

LS: I have a lot of pets and animals in general! During the pandemic, I got many requests for animal cameos (at various points we’ve had ducks, rabbits, and baby goats make an appearance). Of our indoor pets, we have two dogs, one of whom is over 200 pounds and is a big couch potato, along with a rabbit and a cat. On the outside, we have a whole farm with geese, chickens, goats, and a horse. Whenever new people come to our house, I let them know our free-range geese are friendly, but you have to honk to move them away from your car.

RC: What were you like when you were in college?

LS: Well, I’m a little embarrassed to admit now that I didn’t spend that much time in my college library! I had a lot of work-study jobs in undergrad, both in theater and dance. I got to make tutus and costumes for productions, as well as work backstage. I was on both the dance team and in dance company, in addition to being a teaching assistant for the ballet program, so I spent a lot of time in a leotard! While I started out as a biology major, I fell in love with my courses in religious studies, and I did a program of independent research in India my first year. I ended up majoring in religious studies with a minor in gender and sexuality studies. My junior year I took a course on information science and began working in the college archives, which is how I started on the path to becoming a librarian.

RC: Do you have any special talents or skills?

LS: I have a lot of farm-based talents, I designed and built our barn by hand, and now regularly get to shear goats and sheep. All of my hobbies revolve around fiber and textiles. I’ve been sewing since I was young, and I knit, spin, and have designed and published several knitting patterns. I’m a member of two different area guilds for knitting and spinning and am pursuing my master handknitting certificate through the Knitting Guild of America. I am also extremely skilled at drinking large quantities of coffee; my motto is “with enough caffeine, all things are possible.”

RC: What about the upcoming academic year are you most looking forward to?

LS: Welcoming back all the students and faculty! The library gets far too quiet in the summer, and I can’t wait to have a full house again. I’m also very excited to update the café in the library and to create a comfortable and inviting space for studying and meeting. Over the summer we finalized an agreement to update our library system, so we’ll have a new catalog and search functionality for patrons that should be finalized in the summer of 2024.

RC: What do you enjoy the most about your role at the University of New Haven?

LS: This role was such an exciting opportunity for me as it gave me a chance to do all the things I love in my job, with an amazing team, and surrounded by people with a strong commitment to student support. I love how creative and collaborative people here are. In just six months, I feel very connected to the organization already. Librarianship is really a service profession. We’re here to support researchers, connect them with information, and facilitate others in their pursuit of information. I feel so privileged to get to engage in this work at such a dynamic institution.