Meet the Libby Librarians — Shelia Mawdsley

If you’ve delighted at the treasure found in one of our hidden gems, couldn’t stop thinking about the Roman Empire, or tried out a translated read, there’s a good chance you stumbled upon one of Shelia’s recommendations. With a knack for picking out titles that fly just under the radar (but are more than excellent), Shelia reads broadly and she’ll tell you to do the same. Our very own history buff who also happens to love a good hockey romance, Shelia describes her reading style as “snooty to smutty”—and honestly, shouldn’t we all aim for this kind of variety in our reading lives?

This March, you’re in luck as our Libby Librarian spotlight series continues and once again, we go behind the scenes with another of our staff librarians and regular contributors to Libby Life. So grab your cardigan (it’s not just for librarians) and dive in to learn more about Shelia, including the genre she wishes more people read and why bailing on books is a good thing.

What's in your mug? 

Hot coffee with a little cream. Yes, this is true even late in the day and the middle of summer.

Ebooks or audiobooks? 

Yes. Print, too.

⬅️ A tiny sample of my home bookshelves.

What is a reading hill you will die on? 

Unless it’s for school or you’re getting paid to read it, life is too short to finish books you’re not enjoying. Your pleasure reading should be pleasurable. DNF that book you don’t like and find a new one. 

Describe your reading style in 3-5 words. 

Multi, snooty to smutty, historical.

I literally cannot remember the last time I was only reading a single book. I pretty much always have at least four going at any time. As far as my tastes, I read a lot of classics and literary fiction in translation, but I’m also a complete sucker for a really smutty romance. Honestly, I’m all over the place. And I just love history—straight nonfiction, as well as historical fiction and historically inspired fantasy.  

What’s your all-time favorite book?

Emma by Jane Austen 

If you could only ever read one book again, what would it be? 

Well, Emma, obviously. 😊 I’ve read it something like eight or ten times already, and I love it every time.

Name a book you think everyone should read. 

Everyone’s tastes are different, so picking just one for everybody feels weird. And yet, I’m kind of old-school, and think folks really should read classics—Dostoevsky and Shakespeare and the Brontes and the rest. I also deeply wish people read more history in general. Hopefully The Odyssey movie helps with both these things. Oh, hey! If I have to pick just one book, let go with The Odyssey! Fagles’ translation. (Bonus—Ian McKellen reads the audiobook!) 

What inspired you to become a librarian? 

An out of date Peterson’s Graduate School guide. (Do they even still publish those? I’m old.)

Seriously. I ran across a copy that said Kent State specifically had a music librarianship program. I double majored in English and Music, so I thought this would be perfect. Turns out that KSU did have a library science program, and a music library (where I worked for a while), but not a specific program for music librarianship. When I realized my info was out of date, I still happily applied and it all turned out great. 

What did you do before becoming a Libby librarian? 

I worked in public libraries for 17 years before coming here. I did reference, adult programming, staff and patron technology training, blogging, displays, book repair, and eventually, buying ebooks for my library! 

What's the best part of your job? 

With all the things I’ve done in the library world, my favorite is collection development (the fancy librarian word for picking which books to buy), and in this job, that’s the main focus, and I love that. 

What’s one thing about being a librarian you wish more people understood? 

Cardigans can be a way of life for anyone, not just librarians. 

What was the last book you read? 

The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson, translated by Michael Meyer.

Originally published in the 1940s, it’s historical fiction about Vikings and I listened to the audiobook with my husband. We enjoyed it immensely! 

Your best reading advice: 

Read broadly. 

Yes, you have your favorite authors and genres, but stretch yourself sometimes. There’s that discussion that pops up every so often about, “What’s a reading red flag when you see someone’s shelf?” The expected answer is some specific book or genre the person answering personally dislikes. But for me, the red flag is too much sameness. Try something outside your comfort zone! 

And just remember, this is low-stakes reading advice, because you can always bail on the book if you don’t like it (see above in question #3). 

Want to read more from Shelia? 

Check out a few more posts she’s written for Libby Life—interesting audiobooks, historical biographies, and top picks from indie presses.

🧠 Smart listening: 8 academic audiobooks that are surprisingly accessible 

📜 Biographer of a nation: Ron Chernow's portraits of American icons

🌷 Beyond the bestsellers: A spring reading guide to escape the ordinary

Meet more Libby Librarians!

Meet Maria.

Meet Meghan.

Come back next month for another behind‑the‑scenes look at another of our Libby librarians and be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter so you don’t miss out.

Shelia’s book recommendations: