Meet Your Lane Library Staff: Emily Zinn

Every month, we are spotlighting an amazing member of our library staff. This month, meet Emily Zinn, our new Processing Archivist on our Medical History Center Team.

What do you do at the library?

I process the Medical History Center’s archival collections, getting them ready for researchers to use! This involves arranging and describing materials, then uploading their finding aids to the Online Archive of California.

What did you do before coming to Lane Library?

I was an intern at the California State Railroad Museum for about a year and a half as I finished up my Public History Master’s Program. My main project was to process their Grahame Hardy Collection, but I also cataloged old photo negatives and helped keep their locomotives clean! I learned a lot about brass polishing.

What are you most excited about in your new role?

Getting to help these materials get used! Papers from the school’s founding are super cool, but they can’t help anyone if no one knows they’re here. That’s where finding aids come in—when they’re searchable online, researchers from all over the world can find out that Lane Library has what they’re looking for. It’s so cool to think that my work might help someone get the answers they’ve been wanting! 

How long have you worked at Lane?

Only a month so far, but I hope I get to be here for a long time!

What do you do in your spare time?

I like reading, watching TV, doing jigsaw puzzles, checking out antique stores, playing video games (Animal Crossing and Professor Layton are some of my favorites), and just window shopping. Getting to spend a few hours walking through a downtown area is a lot of fun for me!

Do you prefer . . .

Coffee or tea?  Tea, but only decaf—caffeine isn’t a friend of mine.

Cats or dogs? Both! I’ve had a cat in the past, and I have a dog now, plus a bird and a tortoise.

Candy or cake? Cake!

Salty or sweet? Depends what I’m in the mood for.

Print or digital books? Print!

Nonfiction or fiction? That’s hard. Maybe nonfiction? I like finding books on really niche topics, like the history of hairstyling.

Summer or winter? Summer, but mainly because I don’t like the cold. My favorite season is Fall, though!