Himmelfarb Library congratulates Catherine Sluder on her 40th anniversary working at The George Washington University! Catherine has been a member of Himmelfarb’s staff since May of 1985, and we are lucky to have had her as part of our team for the past 38 years!
We interviewed Catherine to learn more about her amazing career at Himmelfarb, the changes she’s seen in her time here, and why she enjoys working at Himmelfarb.
When did you start working at GW? What was your first position here?
I worked one summer in the early 1980s for the Pathology Department. My father, Frank Miller, was still teaching Pathology at GW, and he hired me to organize the department’s collection of stored specimens and slides.
When did you start working at GW? What was your first position here?
I worked one summer in the early 1980s for the Pathology Department. My father, Frank Miller, was still teaching Pathology at GW, and he hired me to organize the department’s collection of stored specimens and slides.
Image: Catherine standing next to the portrait of her father, Frank Miller. Catherine gets to walk past this portrait every day on her way to her office on the 3rd floor of the library.
When did you start working at Himmelfarb? What was your first position at Himmelfarb?
I started working at Himmelfarb in May of 1985. I worked at the Audiovisual (AV) Study Center (now the Bloedorn Technology Center). All lectures were recorded on cassette tapes, which we made copies of for the students on high-speed tape duplicators. We checked out boxes of 35mm Pathology slides and did lots of equipment troubleshooting.
What different positions have you held during your time at Himmelfarb?
In 1991, I became assistant manager of the AV Study Center, and later became manager of the renamed Bloedorn Technology Center. For many years, I have also worked with the Circulation Department, and have coordinated onsite access to Himmelfarb.
Tell us about your current position and what you do at Himmelfarb.
I still manage the Bloedorn Technology Center and oversee physical access to Himmelfarb. And I’m part of the Circulation Department team. I recently became the library’s current 3D printing liaison. And I have the privilege of being a library instructor in CIS small groups. Getting to know, work with, and learn from our medical students has been more rewarding than anything else I’ve done at Himmelfarb.
Can you tell us about how Himmelfarb has changed over your career?
The biggest change I experienced was the transition from physical media to digital. The old AV Study Center was stocked with 35mm slide projectors, VHS and U-Matic video players, and x-ray view boxes.
Years later, we offer VR anatomy programs to our students and are building a collection of streaming media titles in the health sciences and public health. Our assortment of anatomical models, articulated skeletons, and bone boxes, however, have never gone out of fashion. In fact, we are currently expanding our collection of anatomical models.
What are some of the things you enjoy most about your job and working at Himmelfarb?
I have always loved the people I work with (I can’t imagine working without them). And I love that our administration has continually encouraged staff to grow and to master new skills. And if you’re passionate about something that you’d like to pursue, however outside the boundaries of your traditional job description, supervisors and administrators will help you to nurture that passion in a way that benefits both you and the library.
Can you share one or two of your favorite memories of working at Himmelfarb?
When my boss at the time (and forever friend) Lynn Povanda managed the AV Study Center, we used to celebrate AV staff birthdays at work with champagne and white chocolate cake from the Watergate Bakery. We’d invite a few folks from the first floor to join us if we knew that they liked the bubbly (and wouldn’t snitch on us).
Also, in the festive vein, Himmelfarb staff have always thrown terrific winter holiday parties. The older parties were lavish potluck affairs. We’d decorate every square foot of Room B103, and then we’d indulge in all the amazing food that our co-workers had prepared.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
I came to Himmelfarb Library as an avowed technophobe. With the encouragement and support of many colleagues over the years, I have learned to face my fears and to adapt to the challenge of new technologies in ways that would have surprised my older self.
And I hope that my father would be proud of my role, however tiny, in continuing to share knowledge with our medical students.
Catherine has certainly seen many changes in her time working here. We are appreciative that she has documented so many of these changes by being our unofficial photographer for Himmelfarb events. Even though she spends a lot of time behind the camera, we’re lucky to have captured some pretty great pictures of Catherine through the years.
Catherine has long been a valued colleague to the staff she’s worked with through the years. So we thought it only fitting that we give current Himmelfarb staff an opportunity to express their congratulations and share their thoughts about working with Catherine on this momentous occasion. Here’s what they had to say:
“Catherine exemplifies what we strive for at Himmelfarb. She is a detail-oriented problem solver who focuses on providing consistent and high-quality services for our users. Catherine's thorough understanding of library systems, services, and processes, is demonstrated as she looks for ways to make improvements to support users and library staff alike. I'm most impressed with Catherine's work as a library instructor over the past few years as she took on a new challenge and systematically sought to learn a new type of library work, asking questions, clarifying her understanding, and asking for feedback along the way - demonstrating her commitment to serving Himmelfarb's users as she learned and expanded her skill set.” ~ Laura Abate
“Working with Catherine has always been an absolute pleasure. Not only has she always been so helpful, and always in a fantastic mood, Catherine also never seems to mind it when I flood her inbox with cat pictures. Happy 40th Catherine! Himmelfarb is lucky to have you!” ~ Andy Puro
“Cat Sluder is one cool cat!” ~ Temitayo Wolff
"Congratulations on 40 years at Himmelfarb, Catherine! What an amazing accomplishment!" ~ Rachel Brill
“When I started working at Himmelfarb, I wasn't necessarily expecting to find colleagues to talk about fairly obscure music with. I was so happy to discover that in Catherine! She is also one of the most positive people I know. I am always smiling after a chat with Catherine.” ~ Deborah Wassertzug
“Catherine is a kind-hearted, creative, and wonderful colleague. She has a great personality and is always willing to extend a helping hand. Catherine is usually one of the first people I see every morning and she is always upbeat and energetic, even at 8am. I love the work she does when it comes to celebrating staff birthdays and she has incredible Photoshop, video editing, and graphic design skills! I am so grateful that I get to work alongside Catherine!” ~ Brittany Smith
“Working with Catherine is one of my favorite things about working at Himmelfarb. Catherine is creative, curious, fun, and above all, kind. She has an incredible institutional memory that we will never be able to replace, while always keeping up with the changes in service and technology over the years. Catherine keeps me sane when things get crazy! She always provides a laugh or a virtual hug when most needed.” ~ JoLinda Thompson
“Catherine has always been a joy to work with. I appreciate how she always has everyone's back. She is always ready to lend a helping hand to staff, students, and faculty. Her patience and smile are legendary. Congratulations Catherine on 40 years at GW!” ~ Velda Jones
“Congratulations Catherine - thank you for all you do to make Himmelfarb a welcoming place for patrons!" ~ Tom Harrod
“Catherine is by far the most humane and empathic person I know. Her capacity to connect with the pains of others is without boundaries! One day I had the misfortune of having to dispose of a trapped mouse, captured in the Library. The unique way in which the mouse was trapped didn't lead to its' demise, but a very painful outcome that involved a hind leg and genitals. So in a very Catherine kind of way, she pressed me to release the mouse outside of the campus to give it an opportunity to live. I was compelled to do just that! All because it was Catherine asking! Congratulations my friend on your 40th Work Anniversary!” ~ Lonnie Williams
“Catherine's energy and positivity are an inspiration. She is a font of ideas that make Himmelfarb a better place to work and study. Congrats to her on 40 outstanding years!” ~ Ian Roberts
“Catherine is an absolute joy to work with and I feel so lucky to call her a colleague and a friend. Catherine can always be counted on to help with projects and provide valuable advice, and words of encouragement. Her sense of humor always brightens my workday. Although Catherine has seen a lot of staff come and go in her time here, she always welcomes everyone with open arms and has an uncanny ability to not only see the best in people but to bring out the best in people! Congratulations on 40 years at GW, Catherine! I’m honored to have shared some of those years with you.” ~ Ruth Bueter
“Congratulations Catherine on this amazing milestone of 40 years at GW! It has been a pleasure to work with you over the many years. The birthday collages have to be the best idea you have created. You are always so helpful here at the library and doing what needs to be done. Again, Congratulations!!!” ~ Val Bowles
“Every organization needs at least one person holding things together and I'm so happy that Himmelfarb has you! Wishing I were talented enough to make you a special slideshow like the ones we all have come to love for our birthdays each year. I know there must be a perfect song out there somewhere to celebrate such a wonderful achievement. Congratulations and thanks for all you do!” ~ Sara Hoover
From all of us at Himmelfarb Library - Congratulations, Catherine on your 40-year anniversary at GW! It is truly an honor to work with you every day, and we are lucky to have you as part of our team!
