​ Number of unit members: 14

Member with longest time at K: Robin Rank (Librarian at K since 1999, K class of 1984)

Before coming to K, library staff members have held jobs as:

• ​a high school ESL teacher in Japan
• a worker in a factory that made the insides of Harley Davidsons
• a futon assembler
• an office assistant in a Newborn Special Care Unit
• a doctor’s office receptionist
• a librarian in a library for the blind and physically handicapped
• a worker in a bronze casting foundry
• also all manner of retail establishments, restaurants, libraries, and corporations

Collectively, the library staff have 113 years of working in the library at K!

If your favorite food is cheese or chocolate, you will fit in well here. Other favorite foods include eggplant, soup, potatoes, and pickles.

In college, library staff members majored in music, art, history, economics, English, mathematics, and linguistics; and minored in French, English, Religion, Russian Area Studies, and Women Studies​.

We have one former water skiing jump champion, several pranksters, athletes, musicians, artists, and world travelers.

Eight of us are from Michigan (three from Kalamazoo!), two from Illinois, one from Indiana, one from Ohio, and one from Utah!

When we’re not at the library, we like to play bagpipes, water ski, play hockey, watch hockey, follow cats on social media, swim, read (yes, really), play poker, work on genealogy, play with our pets (collectively 6 dogs and 15 cats), collect vintage office supplies, go thrift shopping (pre-pandemic), enjoy the great outdoors. We like to dress as each other for Halloween.

Dream careers include the “one we have” (since we’re clearly living the dream), entomologist, panda keeper, celebrity pet owner, travel writer, absurdly wealthy philanthropist, taste tester for new recipes, carpenter, vintage picker, and archaeologist.