Get to know Connie Fleischer, Research Services Librarian

As a continuation of the D’Angelo Interview Series that we began last year, Scott Vanderlin took a moment to catch up with our Research Services Librarian, Connie Fleischer. Connie shares highlights of her career to this point at the University of Chicago, her day-to-day life, and her interests outside of law librarianship.

How long have you been at the D’Angelo Law Library? 

I began working at the D’Angelo Law Library in 1992 as the Reference/Government Documents Librarian. My title now is Research Services Librarian. Obviously, the information landscape has changed dramatically. The work I do (helping our patrons) is basically the same, just using different tools. It is an extremely exciting and interesting time to be a law librarian. While keeping up with technology is a huge challenge, I have found it fascinating to see how legal research platforms continue to evolve.

In the time you’ve worked in the law library, what is the most memorable event you’ve attended?

In general, working with our amazing students and faculty over the years has been a privilege. They go on to do remarkable things! One example is the time I was pregnant with my oldest son at the same time Michelle Obama was pregnant with Malia. I would run into Barack Obama, then a Senior Lecturer at the Law School, in the Law School Café. We would exchange pleasantries about the excitement of expecting a new baby. Now those babies are in college! I was sorry to miss his most recent visit to the Law School but am looking forward to the opening of the new Obama Presidential Library.

What activities consume most of your time as a law librarian?

In addition to staffing the reference desk, I spend considerable time working with law students (as well as students in other divisions/departments on campus) on their research (for an SRP, faculty RA, or clinic work, etc.). I serve as member of the HathiTrust User Support team, which has been an amazing opportunity to learn about digital libraries.

What new services or changes to the D’Angelo Law Library are you most excited about?

The new scanner that the Library just acquired is straight out of The Jetsons! Located in the Reserve Room, it is free to UChicago patrons. Also, I couldn’t be more excited about all of the outreach (ie. Café D’Angelo/ this newsletter) that my colleague, Scott Vanderlin,  is doing to promote the vast services/people resources that the D’Angelo Law Library has to offer.

[editor’s note: duh.]

What is your favorite aspect of working with students?

Our students are so incredibly bright and intellectually curious. I love introducing them to new resources or tools that help them do their work more efficiently

What are some of your interests outside of law libraries?

I enjoy spending time with my family, playing tennis with friends, and attending estate sales.