About the Library

An Interview With Krista Box, Reference Librarian

Describe your background:

I grew up in Providence, RI. After earning an undergraduate degree in music, I spent several years working at a variety of jobs – the most fun of which was playing clarinet in a theater company orchestra on Cape Cod. My original intention was to become an orchestra librarian, but the long career path to a stable job seemed daunting. This idea morphed into becoming a reference librarian, a job I thought I’d enjoy because I’ve always liked helping people. After earning a Master of Library Science degree from Indiana University, I worked as a librarian at Wright State University, American University, and the Washington Post before coming to the Board's Research Library. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, working out, and managing our neighborhood's community garden.

How would you describe your job to other people?

One of my responsibilities as a reference librarian is to assist people with obtaining information. The questions we receive can range from simple requests for specific books or journal articles to very complex questions that involve finding data. I am also involved in several projects that support the efforts of Board staff. This includes work on the creation of citation analysis reports for the Board’s economists, and leadership of a team in charge of creating resource guides that are designed to help Board staff locate information quickly and efficiently. The Research Visibility Workshop that I teach guides economists in methods for increasing the impact of their research. And, the library liaison work in which I’m involved provides outreach and support for economists in the Board’s research divisions.

Why did you want to work at the Federal Reserve Board Research Library?

Since I had enjoyed my first postgraduate job as a business librarian, I knew that working at the Board would allow me to once again focus on this area of specialty. I also admired the work of the Board and was eager to help support its goals and mission. I have been at the Board for over 20 years now. In that time I have always worked in the exact same location – first door on your right after you enter the Research Library. Many other aspects about my job have changed though. The largest impact I have witnessed is from the advent of the Internet. Long gone are the days of thumbing through thick reference books and printed journal indexes for information. You might think that the easy availability of information on the Internet would have put reference librarians out of business, but just the opposite is true. The profession is more robust than ever. When people can’t find what they’re looking for on the Internet, they must still rely on the knowledge and skills of reference librarians to obtain needed information.

What is the most interesting fact you've learned about the Research Library?

The Research Library has only had 12 Section Chiefs since its inception in 1914. That’s some pretty slow turnover!

What's something most of your co-workers do not know about you?

One day many years ago, I was listening to the radio show, Car Talk, when the subject of fuzzy dice came up. The show's hosts, Ray and Tom, were wondering about the origin of these automotive ornaments. After finding the answer in my personal copy of The Encyclopedia of Bad Taste, I gave them a call. They had a good laugh, and we were all left a little better educated.