Susan Koskinen, University of California, Berkeley

Head Librarian of the Physics–Astronomy Library, University of California, Berkeley

Q: What led you into your chosen profession?

A: As an undergraduate, I worked in the Art Library at the University of Washington. It was a great gothic library space. I got hooked on the library world. Whilst living in France (my husband had a grant), I applied for library school at UC Berkeley. I moved from France to California and started library school. It was all I hoped it would be and I've worked in libraries ever since.

Q: What book are you reading right now?

A: I am reading two books, People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks and Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell.

Q: Who do you admire the most (past or present) and why?

A: Women who have made contributions in spite of their circumstances. Marie Curie is at the top of my list. I have read that her notebooks are still so radioactive they can not be handled.

Q: What was the first and last music record you bought?

A: The first album I bought was by Simon and Garfunkel. The last song I downloaded was an old one by the Commodores called The Night Shift.

Q: If you could have any career other than your chosen profession, what would you choose?

A: It would be fun to be a song and dance star on Broadway, I love musicals.

Q: If you could have dinner with any three people, past or present, who would they be?

A: This is hard, there are so many, I would start with Isaac Newton for his important work on gravity; Julia Morgan, she was the first woman to graduate from the L'Ecole des Beaux Arts as an architect and Emily Dickinson for her ability to focus.

Q: If money was no option, where would you like to go on vacation?

A: It would be interesting to go to Antarctica and really fun to go to Fiji.

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