Inside the University of Iowa Libraries is your look behind-the-scenes to meet the people and discover the stories making our organization unique and valuable. From cutting-edge databases to rare books, join us to explore a world of research, preservation, and discovery that fosters student success through countless touchpoints.
Christine Bellomy is a library cataloger by day and a musician by night (and weekends). Christine has worked her way up through a variety of positions at the University of Iowa Libraries. Beginning as a cataloging student worker in 1989, Christine was later hired as a library assistant II in 2000. With a Master of Library Information Science and a doctorate in clarinet performance and pedagogy, Christine has become a library assistant IV with a music cataloging emphasis in the Cataloging, Metadata, and Digitization Department at the Main Library.
Christine’s work is all about making it easy for students, staff, and faculty to find the information they need. She works behind-the-scenes cataloging materials for the Rita Benton Music Library, including music scores, books, CDs, and DVDs. This can be recording titles, authors, composers, etc. of each material correctly and uniformly. It can also be assigning call numbers and subject headings to materials. This labeling and organizing ensures that users can find what they need with an easy search, can distinguish between different pieces with the same or similar titles (e.g., “sonata” or “symphony”), and, finally, can easily locate physical materials in the Libraries.
Although her work at the Libraries is behind-the-scenes, Christine thrives in front of an audience. She regularly performs with Orchestra Iowa, the Quad City Symphony, and the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band. Her passion for live music is contagious. She promotes their performances both by sharing information with friends and colleagues, and by producing short promotional videos. This is where her creativity and fun-loving nature truly shine. You will see this sense of humor in Christine’s answers below, highlighting some of her favorite materials.
Q: What might someone find surprising about your work?
A: Working in cataloging exposes you to a lot of interesting (and sometimes funny) information and resources. I learned that “skiffle” (a genre of folk music) is a thing from cataloging Skiffle Sensation. I laughed when I cataloged Eat That Frog! Action Workbook. I enjoyed this note from composer Alex Shapiro about Circus of Fleas for clarinet, violin and piano: “Life is short. Fleas are short. This piece is short. And fast. Like fleas. Except that unlike fleas, this piece makes a great encore. Fleas: not so much. So step right up! A trio awaits to amuse you with their amazing antics! No fleas were harmed in the making of this music.”
People might also be surprised that reading books is not part of my job description. Finally, people don’t often realize that library-related information is incorporated into a variety of resources beyond the library catalog to assist students with information retrieval. For example, the University of Iowa School of Music Recordings Archive uses the same authorized forms in its metadata to help people find and distinguish things, such as the difference between John Williams the composer, John Williams the classical guitarist, and John Williams the double bass player or between two different Mozart piano sonatas in C major.
Q: How do you see technology impacting your daily work?
A: We are constantly working to improve our catalog and other library resources to make them more user-friendly and linked to additional resources. We attend webinars and conferences to learn more about how improvements in non-library technology can be integrated into our records and resources to help students find materials even beyond the Libraries using metadata and a variety of international standards (such as authorized name forms and other coded data).
Q: What advice would you have for those just embarking on their own careers?
A: Explore many different things that interest you. If you have a passion that does not appear to be viable for full-time work, look at possibly related careers that interest you and might allow you to enjoy pursuing both. Be bold and brave and ask questions about things. If there are people you admire, especially in your areas of interest, evaluate what makes them successful and consider contacting them for an interview, lunch, and/or job shadow. You might end up making a connection that benefits your career in addition to learning new things.
Q: Outside of work, what are your other interests?
A: I am a clarinetist, playing with Orchestra Iowa, the Quad City Symphony, and the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band. I also teach private clarinet lessons and enjoy performing with my students in a variety of styles and venues. I have fun creating new educational programs for Orchestra Iowa’s Music in the Schools woodwind quintet program (often using resources from the Rita Benton Music Library) and creating “commercials” for Orchestra Iowa. I consult the Rita Benton Music Library and its staff for many things related to my music work (e.g., information about composers, program note research, information about new works and resources, and access to scores). I spend my spare time reading, especially books in a series so I can follow characters, and playing pinochle and other games with friends and family, especially at El Senor Cactus.