Inger Curth Is Recognized In SU Magazine

Inger Curth, Sackets Harbor, bibliographic instruction coordinator at Jefferson Community College in Watertown, and a graduate of Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies, was recently profiled in the spring issue of "Syracuse University Magazine." The article is reprinted below.

Inger Curth could hardly be considered a typical college librarian. A native of Gothenburg, Sweden, she came to the United States in 1971 with a master’s degree in the humanities and a fervent interest in education. Last spring - more than 30 years, another degree, and a new career later - Curth received a SUNY Chancellor’s Award for excellence in librarianship. "I was deeply honored," Curth says, "but it’s also a reminder of the work still to be done - an inspiration to keep going and to do the best I can."

After she and her husband settled in Johnsburg, New York, Curth spent 12 years teaching Head Start, an education program for preschool children. It was there that she developed a strong interest in library science. "I introduced the children and their parents to libraries and books," Curth says. "It was an integral part of the program."

In 1985, Curth and her family moved to Lake Placid, where she became the librarian at the federal correctional institute in Ray Brook, staying for 11 years. During that time, she established an interlibrary loan program for the 1,000 inmates, automated the library’s collection, and coordinated a special books-on-tape program for inmates and their families.

A proud lifelong learner, Curth took courses through the continuing education program of the North Country 3Rs Council, the area’s regional library system (now the Northern New York Library Network). When SU launched its on-line Master of Library Science Program in 1993, Curth jumped at the chance to finish a second master’s degree. "It was everything I’d hoped for and much more," she says. "SU was at the cutting edge of librarianship; I felt the courses were relevant and the instructors stimulating."

Curth taught bibliographic instruction courses and the library research course at SUNY Plattsburgh. That experience prepared her for the current role as bibliographic instruction coordinator at Jefferson Community College in Watertown, New York. "I’ve had a great opportunity to work closely with staff and faculty to create awareness about information literacy on campus," she says. "It’s resulted in many collaborative efforts."

Now Curth is where she wants to be professionally. "Library science is exciting to me because it encompasses all areas of life," she says. "Finding, organizing, and assessing information is one of the most important elements of success as a member of our society. The field offers a vision of reaching out and bridging the ‘digital divide’ in collaboration with community organizations. I’m deeply interested in this because of my earlier work experience and because, as librarians, I believe we can and should make a difference."

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