The latest episode of the Ask Dr. Universe podcast features Washington State University science librarian David Luftig. Luftig highlights the unique role WSU libraries play for everyone in Washington — from university researchers to kids working on science projects.
“Washington State University is what we call a land-grant university,” Luftig said. “What that means is that anyone in the state of Washington who has a science question or who is looking for answers or a resource can ask a science librarian. They can ask me.”
Luftig also explains what it means to be a science librarian, how to become one and why it’s an amazing job for intellectually curious people with wide-ranging science interests.
The episode is the 8th installment of the How Do You Science series, which aspires to answer a young reader’s question about what scientists do and how science works in real life. Previous episodes explore what it means to be a neuroscientist, an undergraduate student researcher, a developmental psychologist, a fish veterinarian, a postdoctoral researcher, a science writer, an entomologist, and an educational psychologist.
The Ask Dr. Universe program is a service of WSU with the goal of connecting upper elementary and middle school-aged kids with science and the university. In addition to the podcast, Dr. Universe works with WSU faculty and expert alumni to answer science questions sent in by curious readers — and delivers science resources like videos produced with NWPB and activities that support formal and informal science education.
Cougs and their kittens can check out the latest podcast episode, “Meet a Science Librarian,” online.
