Get to know Greg Sigman, Performing Arts Librarian at The New School in New York, NY!
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in the countryside about five miles outside of the small southeast Ohio town of Caldwell. Our nearest neighbor was half a mile away, and we could walk there down the middle of the road and often not even encounter a car. Now, I live in Queens, where our nearest neighbors walk by just outside our apartment door perpetually shouting into phones or discussing where they should have brunch. The street is a river of cars with delivery persons streaming by on electric bikes at all hours. Just a bit of contrast.
What might others be surprised to learn about you?
Well, I was a Girl Scout for a number of years, which people might not expect, given all my facial hair. I used to help out with our daughters’ troop, and GS of America doesn’t let you do much– I used to drive Scouts to events and help manage logistics– unless you’ve had a background check and are registered as a member yourself, so I did that and carried the membership card around for quite a while.
What superpower would you choose for a day, and why?
I’m going to go with the power to touch a printed volume and immediately have its contents committed to memory. How cool would that be? It might not get me into a Marvel movie, but it would get me a lot of funny looks as I walked through libraries and bookstores in the city just touching all the books I could find. What collection should I visit first?
What’s your favorite thing about MLA?
I could talk about the professional resources, the outstanding conferences all over the country (knock on wood for next year), great avenues for presenting and publishing, but my favorite thing about MLA is, and always has been, the people. You all are the best, most helpful, friendliest, and smartest folks around. Thank you!
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
There is no such thing as a library emergency! This came from my first librarian boss and mentor, Holly Oberle. I don’t mean to say that library work is not important, far from it! Just that you don’t need to make yourself frantic over *anything*. Take a breath and give it another minute, and your work will be better for it.