Member Spotlight - Jason Katsion
February 24, 2025
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This week's spotlight is on Jason Katsion. Jason is the deputy director of the Barrington Area Library District. He is also a member of the ILA Diversity Committee.
We asked Jason to answer a few professional and amusing questions. Continue reading to find out more about Jason.
A little background on Jason:
Jason Katsion is Deputy Director of the Barrington Area Library District. He has over twenty-five years of library experience, having worked in circulation, IT, reference, and public services. His library advocacy has included presentations at the ILA Annual Conference and Reaching Forward North Conference, and he has hosted a PLA webinar on leveraging community partnerships to meet the needs of immigrant populations. He currently serves on the ILA Diversity Committee.
How did you get your start in libraries?
I was picking up a book of poetry at my local library, and I saw a Help Wanted sign for a 16-hour-a-week job. Director Sylvia Murphy-Williams hired me and encouraged me to pursue a career in libraries. The first ILA Conference I attended was in 2002, when Sylvia was ILA President, and I still remember her keynote speech on the inherent value of library service.
Best advice you've received since starting your career in libraries?
Above all, respect your patrons. However focused I may be on answering their questions accurately and ensuring that their information needs are met, the most important thing I can do is treat them with respect.
Any advice to newcomers working in libraries?
Advocate for your fellow library workers. Librarians provide an extraordinary range of services; improving lives and enriching communities. Do everything you can to make this work visible to the public, especially now.
When and why did you become a member of ILA?
I became a personal member in 2011, because I wanted to be more proactive in my professional development. Even prior to becoming a personal member, I benefited from many ILA resources, including the Reaching Forward North Conference.
How has being a member of ILA helped you professionally?
More than anything, ILA has provided opportunities to connect with fellow librarians and learn from their diverse experiences. I would also single out the Elevate Illinois Libraries Leadership Program as a valuable learning experience.
What is your proudest professional achievement to date?
I am proud of having formed community partnerships that resulted in free immigration help consultations, citizenship workshops, and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. I am also proud to have helped establish a Little Free Pantry, with food initially donated by library staff, and continually replenished by the generosity of community members and weekly donations from FISH Food Pantry of Carpentersville.
Hardcover, paperback, e-reader, audiobook, or all?
All of the above! I always have an audiobook going in the car. (I just finished listening to Emily Wilson’s translation of The Odyssey, narrated by Claire Danes.) A lot of my reading is on the library apps and Archive.org, but I also read hardcovers, paperbacks, and my daughter’s board books.
Favorite authors?
Sarah Waters, Nathan Ballingrud, Fernanda Melchor, Leonora Carrington, M.R. James, Emily Brontë, Sheridan Le Fanu, Richard Holmes, Roberto Bolaño, Charles Dickens, Giovanna Rivero.
If you were stuck on a deserted island, what five books would you want with you to pass the time until being rescued?
- The Norton Shakespeare (Second Edition)
- Sula – Toni Morrison
- The Name of the Rose – Umberto Eco
- Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
- The Fifth Season – N. K. Jemisin
Cat or Dog?
Unfortunately, I am allergic to both.
Favorite film, podcast, or television show?
My four favorite films on Letterboxd are Drácula (1931), The Wizard of Oz (1939), Hereditary (2018), and Bride of Frankenstein (1935). I love the Universal Monsters, Pre-Code Hollywood, and all kinds of atmospheric ghost stories.
One person you would like to meet, dead or alive why?
William Shakespeare. Apart from the plays he authored and co-authored, and his poetry, we really don’t know much about him. A five-minute conversation with Shakespeare could clear up so many mysteries!
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