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Faces of Murphy Library

Posted 8:50 a.m. Monday, March 28, 2022

Michael Olson

Get to know Mike Olson, Cataloging Specialist

As part of the cataloging unit at Murphy Library, Mike helps make it possible for us to search the hundreds of thousands of library materials here at UWL! Mike describes his job by saying,

"I work in cataloging with metadata to describe library resources, including books, e-books, photos, videos, and UW-L student theses, as well as rare and archival materials, applying subject headings and enhancing data using a wide range of standards to help ensure access to and equitable discovery of resources in the Murphy Library catalog and digital collections." 

Mike is also currently working toward a master's degree in library and information science, which will officially solidify his status as a self-identified "book nerd"!

Keep on reading to learn more about him!

More about Mike

Some of Mike's "instrumental friends"

Where are you from?

Northeast Iowa

What's your favorite part of your job?

I enjoy many aspects of my role here, but cataloging student theses and dissertations is especially rewarding considering that Murphy Library is integral to the research process, which then culminates in the archiving of student scholarship within the library—fresh contributions to the ongoing research conversation!

How long have you worked here?

Since August of 2011

What do you do when not at work?

Right now, I'm studying for my master's of library and information science. In my free time, I enjoy creating visual art, researching activist artist movements, making music with my wife, and most all the outdoor “ings”—hiking, biking, kayaking, hammocking.

What have you read/viewed/listened to/etc. recently?

John Lurie's soundtracks have my ear this winter. An inspiring read is Danielle Aubert's recent history of the Detroit Printing Co-op, available from Inventory Press. Founded by Fredy and Lorraine Perlman, the press interrogated academia and championed student rights, printing radical journals and other calls to action in a cooperative environment outside the prevailing capitalist economic system. And the artwork is radical too!

What might surprise us about you? 

I was once accidentally cast in a T.V. commercial (much to my chagrin!), enabling me to pay off my student loans early, phew!

Favorites

  • Book - Tough call. "Europeana: A Brief History of the Twentieth Century" by Patrik Ouředník is up there.
  • Movie - Too many to choose from. William Klein's "Mr. Freedom" makes the cut.
  • Song - Favorites are hard but just about anything by Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru can suffice.





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