“I never wanted to be a reference librarian, but I’m really grateful that Widener gave me the opportunity,” says Mary Jane Mallonee. She took a position at the Widener Law Library in 1985 because the administration offered her the flexible schedule she needed so that she could take care of her young children. Mary Jane originally wanted to do cataloging, but she ended up doing reference instead. Finding that she enjoyed it, she decided to make a career of it.
As the Reference/Government Documents/International Librarian on the Delaware campus, Mary Jane spends much of her time ready to answer patron questions at the reference desk or serving as the custodian of the government documents collection that the library keeps as part of the Federal Depository Library Program. Of being a law librarian, she says, “I enjoy being able to concentrate on one field,” but she also notes, “Its challenging when a member of the public comes in to the library to ask a question because they’re likely dealing with a real problem rather than a theoretical one. It’s hard not being able to give them legal advice, but trying to help them at the same time.”
Mary Jane's schedule also includes organizing the faculty publications display, the alumni bulletin board, and the Delaware Courts bulletin board. She also served as an officer in the American Association of Law Libraries Government Documents Special Interest Section last year and is currently serving as the President of the College and Research Library Division of the Delaware Library Association. Together with Eileen B. Cooper, former Director of the Widener Legal Information Center, and David King, the Reference/State Documents Librarian/Archivist, Mary Jane co-authored the Delaware chapter of the award-winning Prestatehood Legal Materials, a research guide covering all fifty states, New York City, and the District of Columbia.
“The best part of my job is helping people, whether students, faculty members, or the public to find what they need," says Mary Jane with a smile.