By Heather White

For 27 years the University of Louisville Ekstrom Library has stood as a haven for students to study, convene with classmates and catch a few winks between classes.

However, for Anna Marie Johnson, coordinator for the information literacy program, Ekstrom is almost like a second home.

As a student at Indiana University, Johnson pursued a double major in German and creative writing.

However, this changed, she said, when she was having trouble deciding what to do once she graduated.

Johnson began to look into library science. “It’s about the books,” she said. “I’ve always loved libraries and their atmospheres.”

After completing her master’s in library science at IU, she began working at U of L.

Working with over 21,841 students would seem like a daunting task, but not for Johnson.

“As a graduate student, I worked at the library at Indiana University, so I encountered a lot of people,” she said. “I knew what was coming.”

It’s now been 12 years that Johnson has been a part of the library, and she is as busy as ever, with each day bringing new tasks and challenges.

Johnson said she takes her responsibilities in stride.

“My job is intellectually stimulating and varied. It’s something different every day.”

She seems to feed off the energy of the library and students.

During the course of an average day, she said she is often answering questions from faculty, students and her colleagues, and also preparing to teach students about resources within the library.

In fact, she may seem quite familiar to a number of students.

She is one of the librarians in charge of introducing freshmen, transfer students and graduate students to Ekstrom and explaining the ins and outs of utilizing such library resources as Minerva, which she also helps customize.

Some of her fondest memories come from teaching these introductory lessons.

“When I first started teaching, we had each student write down one question they had about the library on a small slip of paper,” she said. “I had one student write down the question, ‘What does the library do for students?’ I saved this piece of paper and taped it to my computer – it’s a constant reminder to me of why I’m here.”

And when it comes down to it, the students and her co-workers are what she enjoys the most about her job.

According to Johnson, one of the most rewarding things for her is helping students find what they need and answering their questions.

“It’s great watching the light bulb go off above their head,” she said.

But she’s not doing all of the teaching.

The student body has certainly brought some new insight into Johnson’s profession, showing her that it’s okay to try new things, especially when it comes to research.

“Librarians are very set in their ways when getting a task done,” she said.

“The students here have taught me to be more flexible and have proven to me that things like Google are not bad to use from time to time.”

With so much information to teach, the thing above all else that Johnson said she wishes to convey to students is that all librarians, including herself, take pride in knowing that they’ve helped another person.

Johnson wants students to come in and ask questions, and to take advantage of the vast amount of information that Ekstrom holds.

The reference desk in the library is available to assist students with navigating their way through college.

“Call us, e-mail us, talk to us. Let us know how to help you. Librarians are friendly, and it’s our job to help people,” said Johnson.