Librarian Crush: Cherie Yanek

Librarian crush of the irregular period: Cherie Yanek

I first met Cherie in 2004 before the Republican National Convention came to town. I heard that the NYC Radical Cheerleaders ("I'm sexy, I'm cute, Political to Boot!") had a library school student in their midst who sported an anti-USA PATRIOT Act button when she cheered. I think it was this one:

Cherie joined Radical Reference and protested the RNC both cheerleading and librarianing. I remember seeing her cheering alone at one protest before I met her, and was awed by what a brave loudmouth she was. There's a reason people usually cheer in squads; it's really daunting to shout and dance by yourself.

Nowadays her primary outlet for all that energy seems to be running. The girl is a marathoner (personal record 3:28 in Boston!) and ultramarathoner. That's hundred milers, dude. For real! I mentioned on Facebook that I had a friend running the NYC marathon wearing pink and to keep an eye out. Another friend responded that she thought she saw her, and was she wearing a pink tutu. That would be a yes. The girl can run a marathon in under 4 hours (ahead of 30,000+ other runners), and is possibly the cutest one at the finish line. I love a librarian who is fierce, as well as smart and anti-authoritarian. That's why Cherie is my librarian crush of this irregular period.

By day, Cherie is the Senior Associate Librarian at Catalyst's Information Center. She has an MFA in Writing and Poetics, as well as an MLS from Queens College.

I am hoping to make Librarian Crush an irregular regular feature on this here blog. I will write about a library worker or student I admire and whose awesomeness needs to be recognized, perhaps outside of the realm of Library Journal's Movers & Shakers and ALA's Emerging Leaders. Feel free to suggest crushables. Just note that despite my romantic preference for men, I'm only crushing on women here. Men get disproportionate attention in librarianship, so I'm not giving a brother a hand. Also note that the librarian must have a life outside of librarianship (unlike me).