Alumni Spotlight: Law Librarian, Community Volunteer, and Ardent Reader – Christine Glaab, MLS, 75′

iSchool News - May 29, 2020

Christine Glaab received her Master of Library Science (MLS) in 1975 from the College of Library and Information Science (CLIS), which is now known as the College of Information Studies.

headshot of Christine Glaab

Law librarians provide invaluable information services through their extensive knowledge of legal resources. Their main work involves researching, analyzing, and evaluating the quality, accuracy and validity of sources.

Christine Glaab received her Master of Library Science (MLS) in 1975 from the College of Library and Information Science (CLIS), which is now known as the College of Information Studies. She leveraged her MLS degree into a successful career as a law librarian for three prominent law firms and the federal government in Washington, D.C.

Christine’s enthusiasm for librarianship and access to information extended beyond her career. She had a passion for libraries, reading and education. Committed to helping those less fortunate, Christine was a regular volunteer for the Montgomery County Public Libraries in Maryland. She also donated books and supplies to the Greenbank Middle School in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. Over a 20-year period, she provided thousands of books to that county’s library system and the middle school.

In 2018, the College of Information Studies launched a Legal Informatics specialization in its Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program. This was inspired by the generosity of John Glaab who established the Christine Glaab Law Librarian Fellowship in memory of his wife. By investing in scholarships and fellowships, donors make graduate education more accessible to students.

When asked about a special memory of Christine, John fondly recalls how she would often ask a young person she had just met, “What was the first book you could not put down?” She knew when someone found an inspiring book, they would always be a person who read and cherished books.

The Christine Glaab Law Librarian Fellowship has a far-reaching impact providing support to MLIS students with an interest to serve as an information specialist in the legal field. Thanks to this fellowship in her name, Christine’s legacy will live on and help prepare future generations of professional experts in legal information and research.