by Lee Ann Sandweiss
SLIS Alumni Magazine, Fall 2002
Deep in the heart of Texas is a native Hoosier and SLIS graduate making a big difference in the lives of students through her dedication as a librarian and a musician.
Leota Sigrid Boesen, MLS'80, has more than 35 years of experience on the violin and eight on the viola. A gifted musician, she played with the DePauw University Symphony while still in junior high and high school, occasionally under the direction of such eminent composers as Aaron Copland, Howard Hanson, and Lukas Foss. After earning a B.A. in music from Smith College in 1978, Boesen came to Indiana University and pursued her MLS with a specialization in music librarianship.
Boesen says that while SLIS classes gave her a solid theoretical basis for the work she is doing now, "I gained the most hands-on training through my nine-month internship in the IU Music Library and as a student assistant in Vocational Education Services. The original cataloging I did under the direction of Ralph Papakhian in music and under Joann Brooks at Vocational Education Services certainly helped me to become a better reference librarian."
Today, Boesen balances her career as a community college reference librarian in the north Houston area with her profession as a violin and viola instructor who prepares students for chair competitions and college admissions. "I am glad to have the opportunity to work in two areas in which I trained for very long periods of time," she says. "I know that I am helping students acquire a quality education by helping them at the reference desk. I also know that I am helping great numbers of students through my teaching of violin and viola. I would advise students to follow their hearts and to keep their minds open as to how they can apply their librarian skills in different settings." Her web site: www.leotaboesen.com
Posted February 06, 2003