Christian has been working at KIT Library since 2016. After starting in the Acquisitions and Cataloguing Department, he has been an integral part of the Publications and Media Services Department for the past 6 years, where he handles the library’s public relations.

What path led you to a career in the “library”?
It was a bit of an odyssey (though probably not quite as epic ;-) ) until I found a career I could identify with. I started with a vocational training program in business before — after a stint at night school, where I earned my Abitur — I went on to college. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a clear plan for what I wanted to be — except for a vague idea of studying something related to history. I tried studying archaeology and then pursuing a teaching degree program, but with both, sooner or later I started to doubt whether that was the right career path for me. 

It was more by chance that I came across the “Library and Information Science” degree program, but switching to it turned out to be the right decision: I successfully completed my bachelor degree in that program and started a position here at KIT Library right after graduation. A few years later, I “stumbled” into public relations (again, rather unplanned and by chance), where I work on graphic and web design — a division that doesn’t really have much to do with library work per se and where I had virtually no prior experience, but which I (unexpectedly) enjoy a lot and that allows me to channel my creative energy — something I hadn’t really dared to do before.

I then decided to pursue a correspondence course in media design at another university to better position myself professionally as a designer — and even though the 3 1/2 years of studying alongside a full-time job here at the BIB were pure stress, I haven’t regretted the effort: My experience as a librarian and the skills I’ve now acquired as a graphic and web designer give me a unique perspective on the library, which I’d like to use to help our users — both existing and new—get to know our institution better.

What interests did you bring with you?
A persistent stereotype in many people’s minds is the image of librarians as bookworms who can’t keep their hands off their books even while working. Admittedly, this cliché applies to me as well — not the part about reading while working, of course ;-) — but it doesn’t necessarily apply to others. Especially since we’re busy enough organizing and cataloging our materials that we don’t actually have the time to read them all.

What I’m trying to say is that you don’t have to be a bookworm to become a librarian — especially since the profession has already undergone some significant changes in recent years, precisely because the focus is no longer exclusively on a library’s book collection but has expanded to include many other facets. But the time I’ve spent with (printed and electronic) books has taught me to better appreciate the potential of their content (in terms of creativity, knowledge, etc.), but above all to better appreciate the process of quality assurance and editing, which brings this content together into (ideally) a substantive book.

This ideal can also be applied to us, because preparing well-researched information — or guiding people to find and use this information is the be-all and end-all of any modern library — especially in an era of increasing “enshittification” of the World Wide Web, where facts and truths threaten to sink into a quagmire of fake news, self-promotion, ignorance, and pure hatred. 

What do you particularly like about your job?
The variety: The job isn’t just about buying books and putting them on the shelves. From bookbinding and cataloging media, to teaching information literacy, developing various IT solutions such as online catalogs and repositories, all the way to — as in my case — creating (visual) content to promote our services. Even if you’re not necessarily interested in “traditional” library work, you’ll still find plenty of opportunities for professional growth in a modern scientific library.  

Can you tell us your favorite spot at KIT Library?
The roof of the library’s so-called “old building” (the larger of the two buildings), where you have an amazing view of the KIT Campus South and Karlsruhe. Unfortunately, it’s not open to the public, though ;-)