Maine College of Art & Design Introduces Erik Bobilin as Director of the Joanne Waxman Library
Erik Bobilin starts as Director of the Joanne Waxman Library on Monday, August 29, 2022.
PORTLAND, ME — August 30, 2022 — Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D) today announced the appointment of Erik Bobilin (he/his) as Director of the Joanne Waxman Library, effective Monday, August 29, 2022.
The College’s Joanne Waxman Library, on the second floor of the Porteous Building, is one of the largest independent libraries in Northern New England. Its collections number more than 43,000 volumes, 150 periodicals and e-journals, 500 videos, 450 artist books and zines, and other materials. The library also maintains a special collection of rare books and 19th century publications, primarily on the arts, and in 2021 added the first and only Materials Collection in the state of Maine to offer access to novel, sustainable, and traditional materials to inspire artists and designers.
"Erik is an experienced library leader whose approach to supporting students is a match to Maine College of Art & Design's educational philosophy,” said Paul Gebhardt, Dean of Undergraduate Studies at Maine College of Art & Design. “His work with video game design and video game collections will bring a new dimension to the Joanne Waxman Library. I am so thrilled Erik is joining our team.”
In addition to being a librarian who holds a master's in Libraries and Information Science with a digital libraries concentration from the University of South Carolina and bachelor's degree in English/Literature from Florida State University, Bobilin is also an author and editor.
“This is an exciting opportunity for me to work with the fantastic creative minds here at Maine College of Art & Design,” said Bobilin. “As someone always seeking to learn and grow, the environment fostered by the community of artists and designers here is ripe for constant discovery and reflection. I’m thrilled to be a part of it.”
Bobilin comes to the College from Brooklyn Public Library, where he served variously as young adult librarian, social sciences librarian, editor of the books blog and library manager. He has worked previously with videogame collection development and remains interested in descriptive schemas for video game design.
The Joanne Waxman Library is open for students, staff, and faculty 9:00am - 6:00pm Monday through Friday and noon - 5:00pm on Saturdays.
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ABOUT MAINE COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN
Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D) has been activating students of all pursuits to make art, make an impact, and inspire change since its founding as Portland School of Art in 1882. Located in Portland's thriving Arts District, students have access to state-of-the-art facilities, 24-hour-a-day studios, a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio, and a community-based Artists at Work program—making MECA&D the right-sized school in the right-sized city for every student who wants to make their mark and be seen. The College offers BFA Majors and Minors, Graduate Programs, Continuing Studies, Pre-College, and includes the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies and the Institute for Contemporary Art. Follow us at @mecaart.
MEDIA CONTACT
Jacqui Walpole
Director of External Relations
jwalpole@meca.edu