Staff Spotlight: Meet Kim MacVaugh

Kim MacVaugh
  1. Name, job title, and location? Kimberly (Kim) MacVaugh, SFS & Government Liaison and Reference Librarian, Lauinger Library.
  2. What do you do—in 10 words or less? Support student and faculty research and build the library's collection.
  3. Where are you from? I was raised in Towson, Maryland and I have big state pride (we have the best state flag, crabs, Old Bay, the Orioles, Ravens, etc.).
  4. Do you have any hobbies? Loads, but baking, gardening, and cuddling my cat are the main ones at the moment.
  5. What are you reading/watching/playing/listening to/learning right now? I'm a big audiobook fan and I'm listening to Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (one of my very favorite authors), and Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng (another amazing author), and in general love historical fiction, thrillers, and cozy mysteries to entertain me on the Metro. At home we watch a lot of streaming shows—lately, His Dark Materials on HBO, Wednesday on Netflix, Ms. Marvel on Disney +, and Three Pines on Amazon Prime.
  6. Who would play you in the movie about your life? I'd choose Karen Gillan, because of her energy and curiosity about the world—in her roles she gets thrown into all kinds of adventures and always prevails with her spirit and determination (I especially loved her as Amy Pond in Doctor Who). She should start brushing up on her American accent.
  7. What are your favorite activities to enjoy (or avoid!) the winter? I embrace the hygge/cozy hibernating vibe. Warm drinks, roaring fire, board games and good conversation with family and friends. Snow is fun if I don't have to be anywhere.
  8. What's your favorite place on the Hilltop (apart from the library)? As an MA in Arab Studies alum, the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies lounge is really special to me; it's a chill spot to hang out and discuss current affairs in the Middle East.
  9. What attracted you to this career? I caught the travel bug in college, and studied abroad in Lithuania and visited Europe and Russia. I majored in politics and international relations and then lived in the Palestinian town of Bethlehem after I graduated. I was originally interested in international aid and advocacy but my love of learning and research brought me back to librarianship!
  10. If you didn’t work in your current field, what would you be doing? I'd probably work for a nonprofit to promote civic engagement. I've discovered the slogan "think globally, act locally" really is true—you have to start where you are to make an impact in your community.