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Home > People > Alumni Profiles > Spotlight
SI SpotlightMichael Seadle (MSI '97)
"SI broadened my understanding of libraries and library culture substantially despite my previous experience. It also let me explore multimedia technology under Professor Karen Markey's direction as part of my assistantship, and that has been very directly applicable to my present work, which includes managing the Digital and Multimedia Center at MSU."
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Before SI: Completed a doctorate in German history at the University of Chicago in 1977 while working at the University of Chicago Libraries in the South Asia Collection. After nearly five years with the library, he went into computing and worked for the next seven years doing assembly language work for various for-profit and nonprofit firms.
When Seadle's wife started her Ph.D. program in accounting, he followed her to Eastern Michigan University, where he worked in the Computer Center as assistant director for academic computing. Also worked in the Network Resources Division of Cornell University Information Technologies, but soon moved over to Cornell Libraries and ultimately became assistant director of the Library Technology Department. "When my wife finished her doctorate and received an offer from Michigan State University, I followed her again and set up my own consulting practice with clients that included Cornell, NOTIS Inc., and various computer journals. I tired of that quickly, though, and applied to SI."
At SI: "I wanted to come back to the library world, and an ALA-accredited master's offered advantages. SI's new technology orientation appealed strongly to me, and it helped that I knew some of the faculty, particularly Karen Markey. Mainly, though, the program looked like fun -- and it was," he says.
"The class I enjoyed perhaps the most was statistics, but I have fond memories of all of my classes. Perhaps my most surprising experience as a student came when the publisher of Library Hi Tech asked me to replace Don Riggs as co-editor. SI generously provided work space for me to do this, and I am now in my tenth year as editor of the journal."
After SI: Now is director of the Institute for Library and Information Science at Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany. Previously, he was assistant director for information technology at Michigan State University Libraries until 2006. He is also editor of Library Hi Tech.
"If anything, the value of my SI education has grown over the years as the School's reputation has grown, and as I have come into contact with more and more graduates. I have also been able to offer internships to many SI students and have consistently found that to be a rewarding experience," he says.
"SI is particularly good for older students like myself because it lets one build on one's past experience. The curriculum establishes an intellectual framework for research and hands-on experience. And the faculty and students are the kind of intelligent and capable people that are worth knowing year after year. How could anyone not want to be a student there? I'd love to do it all over again!"
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