Judson is an Association Professor of Library Science and Reference Librarian at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnaise, IL (3,300 FTE). He has been a member of ACL since 2012.
Librarian Career
I began my career as a librarian…when I determined that 16 years as a practicing attorney was long enough (yes, I am a Recovering Lawyer). One thing I kept coming back to was how much I enjoyed doing research — legal research, medical research, engineering standards, etc. I spent an inordinate amount of my time as a lawyer in libraries, finding out stuff that I needed to know. I got so much joy out of both finding and the process of finding and thought that I would rather spend more of my time in that world rather than the world of litigation and all of the defensiveness that permeated every aspect of that being in that industry. I love the law but working as a litigator is draining. I found research work much more energizing.
Between the Pages: Getting to Know Our Member of the Month
Describe yourself using a book title: The Glory and the Dream: A Narrative History of America, 1932–1972 (1974), by William Manchester. I was a undergraduate History major and I find myself constantly amazed at how often I run into evidence of God’s glory.
What’s the best thing about being a librarian? All of the new titles that keep filling up the “New Books” shelves in our library. I love browsing them and being surprised by some of the great writing and topics I find there.
What are you currently reading? John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs (2025) by Ian Leslie and The Baseball 100 (2021) by Joe Posnanski. I’m a sucker for any thoughtful new take on the music and career of The Beatles and Joe Posnanski’s writing on the Negro Leagues player/manager Buck O’Neil is a master class in portraying O’Neil’s quality of persistence with grace and love. Posnanski is top shelf at writing a compelling narrative that gets to the heart of the subject.
How do you as a librarian contribute to your campus or community? In general, I try to champion the principle that being educated and informed REALLY doesn’t mean knowing the answers to questions. It does mean having the ability to find resources that shine a light on the issues that are relevant to and illuminate those questions. In a complicated environment of information, being able to distinguish the signal from the static and exercise judgment and wisdom are much more important than raw knowledge and intelligence. In a practical sense, I try to model the joy and skill of using research to inform and illuminate. My background in law makes me the target of most of the questions on campus that deal with copyright and other Intellectual Property issues. I am somewhat acquainted with patent searching, so I help our engineering students in navigating the patent searching process, which can often seem opaque. I also shepherd our Government Documents collection (its more like herding cats) and I teach the Historiography course on campus, which marries my love of research with my undergraduate History major. I also cheerlead the university as a gathering together of so many skills, gifts, abilities and knowledge across so many fields that reflect the glory and wonder of God and His creation! I can’t believe I have the privilege of being in the middle of so much excellence and beauty!
Do you have any specific interests in the library world? The use of copyright law and the concept of Fair Use to help the spreading and stimulation of creativity, knowledge, and beauty in the world. Finding a balance that allows for compensation and credit for creative works while also allowing others to benefit from those creative works and further stimulate their own creativity.
What are your hobbies or interests outside of work? I love playing music (largely guitar and bass), digging into baseball (past and present), hiking and being outdoors and reading for fun.
ACL Involvement
How were you introduced to ACL? By my library colleagues at Benner Library (especially Craighton Hippenhammer) after I started at Olivet Nazarene University in 2010.
Describe ACL in three words: Connected. Curious. Generous.
What do you value about ACL? The willingness of the members to share what they know and have and to emphasize what binds us together in commonality and unity.
How are you or have you been involved in ACL? I have presented at a couple of ACL Conferences in the past (2013 & 2015), as well as a Lasir Talk in 2016.