Meet Kasia Krzyzanska, a physics undergraduate and co-leader of the Student Friends of Princeton University Library

The Student Friends of the Princeton University Library (SFPUL) is a student-run group that sponsors events and activities related to libraries, books, collecting, and other bibliographic endeavors, with a dedicated emphasis on Princeton University Library’s collections.

Physics undergraduate Kasia Krzyzanska

What are you studying at Princeton? What interests you about the subject?  

I am a senior studying physics. I enjoy the rigorous approach it takes to understanding the laws of the universe, finding out why things are the way they are on a fundamental level. Mostly I’m interested in particle physics — it’s really cool!

How did you get involved with SFPUL? 

I have been attending SFPUL events since my first year at Princeton —I love books and libraries, and I wanted to explore all the awesome collections available at Princeton. Last summer, I finally joined the leadership team.

What role do you hold with the Student Friends?  

I am a co-leader on the SFPUL Board, along with Jessica Terekhov and Sophie Brady. As the undergraduate representative, I’m in charge of organizing events for the Friends and occasionally sending out all those emails. 

What has been your favorite SFPUL event? 

My favorite SFPUL would have to be the virtual tour of the Met Cloisters. As great as it would have been to see the museum in person, this tour brightened my semester of virtual learning, and of course it was fascinating to see the tapestries and works of art in its collection!

What have you learned since joining the Friends? 

Specifically from an event, I learned about Emily Hale, who corresponded with T. S. Eliot for many years. This is just personally interesting to me as I’m fond of Eliot’s poetry, but it was especially cool to learn about as Eliot’s letters that were kept in Princeton were finally unsealed in January 2020.

More generally, I’ve learned that Princeton has a lot of very amazing items within its collections!

Why should someone join the SFPUL? 

The SFPUL is a great way to explore Princeton’s many libraries and collections. If you’re interested in books, the history of print, or library science in general I would definitely recommend joining! Many students don’t realize what cool stuff is available for them, and now that we can hold in-person events again, we can show off notable items under the supervision of knowledgeable curators and historians.

Published October 26, 2021

Interview by: Brandon Johnson, Communications Specialist

Media Contact: Barbara Valenza, Director of Library Communications