Special Collections is delighted to grow its team with three new staff members, supporting our operations and department goals. Our new staff is crucial to providing patrons with increased access to our collections and excellent service. They are:

Julie Cismoski joined Special Collections in July as Instruction & Exhibitions Librarian, a key role in the department. An experienced librarian and educator, Julie has worked in special collections at the University of Southern Maine Library (Portland, ME) among other academic libraries, as well as an English as Additional Language teacher abroad and in nonprofits in Portland, OR. Julie is working with faculty and students to develop and facilitate our primary source instruction program. She also develops and collaborates on digital and physical exhibitions and other outreach initiatives in Special Collections.

Grace Brosi is our Research Services Coordinator, a new position in Special Collections. But Grace is not new in our team: She has worked as a student with Special Collections and Preservation for the last four years and worked as a library information specialist earlier in the summer. Grace coordinates the reading room operations, ensuring our visitors have a great experience as they conduct their research.

Kennedy Thomas has joined our team as graduate professional assistant, a two-year assistantship position. Kennedy’s work focuses on assessing and promoting the use of our music holdings, for which she will develop several projects. Also, she is behind Special Collections’ social media posts. Kennedy has worked in the library since February 2025, first in the Acquisitions, Cataloguing & Technical Services (ACTS) unit.

Welcome, Julie, Grace, and Kennedy!