Bio


Kathleen M. Smith is the subject specialist for the Germanic Collections & Medieval Studies at Stanford Libraries. Prior to Stanford, she worked in the Research and Development Department of the State and University Library in Göttingen, Germany.

Current Role at Stanford


As the curator or subject specialist for the Germanic collections and for medieval studies, I select new materials and provide reference assistance; I also work with faculty and students to help them find the materials that they need for their research and teaching.

The Germanic Collections include materials for research and instruction in literature and linguistics, cultural studies, history, and social studies. The geographic scope of these collections includes the Scandinavian countries, Flemish-speaking Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands; however, the primary collecting areas are Germany, Austria, and German-speaking Switzerland.

Education & Certifications


  • Ph.D., Germanic Languages and Literatures, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • M.A., Germanic Languages and Literatures, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • M.S.I.S., Library and Information Science, University of Texas at Austin
  • B.A., English and Germanic Studies, University of Colorado at Boulder