5 Questions with Jane Mertens
With three other members of her family working for Grinnell College, coming to campus is a bit of a family affair for Library Cataloging Assistant Jane Mertens. She first came to the College on a part-time basis in 2014 and joined full-time in 2020. She took some time out of her day to answer a few questions about her family, her artistic endeavors, and her work at Burling Library.
Q: Your family has deep ties to the College and to the community. Can you share a little about your family connections to Grinnell?
A: I grew up in Grinnell and I am lucky to have family close. My younger sister Ellsi Mertens works in the library as a circulation supervisor, my mother, Cecilia Knight, worked in Burling as a librarian and is currently on senior faculty status, and my father has worked as a driver in facilities management since retiring from teaching. My older sister works in for the school district.
Q: Can you tell us about your ceramics work?
A: I spend a lot of time at the ceramics studio located in the back of the Stew Makerspace. I teach ceramics workshops that are open to all the community and enjoy working on my own pieces as well. I do both hand building and throwing and I’ll be teaching the throwing and hand-building classes offered through the Grinnell Area Arts Council starting at the end of January.
Q: When did you first come to Grinnell College and how did you choose a career in the Library?
A: I’ve worked in a few departments seasonally or part-time since 2014. I began my pursuit of a master’s in library and information science while I was still working in the school district. I wanted to pursue work that was meaningful but lower in stress than other things I had done. I started working as a circulation supervisor full-time at the library in January 2020. I became drawn toward organization systems and was fortunate to be hired for a position in the catalog department in 2021.
Q: What has your experience been like working with Grinnellians?
A: Working at Grinnell College has been a good experience. I felt very supported while we struggled with the challenges of the pandemic, and I continue to feel that the college wishes to foster an environment where staff can grow in their positions. In recent years, and thanks in large part to the work of the Diversity Equity And Inclusion staff, I’ve grown to look forward to the campus’ Juneteenth celebration. I learn more each year, and am grateful to have been invited to celebrate with everyone else.
Q: What is/are your favorite aspects of the work in the library?
A: I get to see every physical item that we are adding to our browsable collection. We’re fortunate to have the variety we do, and I’m always excited when someone requests something unusual to add to our collection. I enjoy seeing the art books that we receive for our main collection. We have books that cover so many different art movements and artist perspectives, and the Grinnell College Museum of Art also donates a lot of exhibit catalogs.