For Nancy Golz, a library is much more than a place filled with books. It is a space where curiosity grows, questions are answered and students gain the confidence to succeed in college.
As a librarian at the Merced College Los Banos Campus, Golz guides students through the research process, helps them locate reliable information and teaches them skills they can continue using throughout their education. Her work reflects a lifelong passion for learning, discovery and helping others.
Education has always been an important part of Golz’s life. Both of her parents and two of her grandparents were educators, creating a family environment that valued knowledge from an early age.
That foundation led her on an academic and professional journey across California, Pennsylvania and Germany. During her undergraduate studies, Golz spent her sophomore year at Philipps University in Marburg, Germany, one of the country’s oldest universities.
While living abroad, she traveled throughout Europe, visiting museums, castles, art galleries and historical sites.
After earning her bachelor’s degree in California, she returned to Germany for a semester of postgraduate study. She later completed the requirements for a California teaching credential and taught in both California and Germany. Golz continued her education by earning a master’s degree in library and information science from PennWest University in Pennsylvania.
Years later, she fulfilled a goal she had carried since childhood by completing a doctoral research program at Saint Mary’s College of California. “Pursuing doctoral studies is something that I wanted to do ever since I was a small child,” she said.
Her childhood dreams reflected the same curiosity that would later guide her career. Golz imagined becoming an astronaut, an environmental lawyer, a spy working in intelligence services or a librarian.
“Two of those childhood dreams came true, and in my opinion, those were the best possible dreams for me,” she said. That curiosity also shaped her interest in librarianship.
Golz said she always had many questions and a strong desire to understand the world around her. When her parents became tired of answering every question, they began telling her to “look it up.”
At the time, that meant searching printed encyclopedias and reading books. What began as a childhood habit eventually became the foundation of her profession.
“Being a librarian allows me to continually research and learn as I help people find the information that they need to further their studies,” Golz said. “Helping people is extremely rewarding, and I enjoy the intellectual challenge of finding information and the answers to students’ questions.”
Before joining Merced College, Golz built a career that combined teaching and librarianship. Her first job after college was teaching at a language school in Hamburg, Germany. She later taught adult English as a Second Language classes in California and English and history at a high school in Fresno.
Her career later shifted more directly toward librarianship. She served as a school librarian at an elementary school in Atwater and spent many years as a teacher librarian at Merced High School. She later worked as a college research librarian at Yuba College and California State University, Stanislaus, experiences that prepared her to support students at Merced College.
Golz was drawn to community college librarianship because it allowed her to combine her love of teaching with her interest in research. “The most rewarding part of my job is working with students,” she said. “I enjoy the diversity of students at community colleges with their varied life experiences.”
Each student comes to the library with different questions, academic goals and levels of research experience.
Golz enjoys helping students move from uncertainty to a clearer understanding of how to begin and where to find reliable information. Although some people assume librarians know everything, Golz said their real strength is knowing how to find trustworthy answers.
“Of course, librarians do not know everything, but we are really good at finding the answers to new questions,” she said.
Because research and information continue to change, Golz also remains committed to learning. She stays current by reading, participating in professional development and remaining active in organizations such as the American Educational Research Association, the American Library Association and the California Community Colleges Chief Council of Librarians.
Her love of learning continues outside of work as well. Golz reads about three or four books each month and enjoys fiction along with books about natural history, health, popular science and history. She described herself as a lifelong reader and said that working in a library has given her access to even more books and sources of information.
That enthusiasm for knowledge is also reflected in the relationships she builds with students at the Los Banos Campus. “The students in Los Banos are very friendly, kind and interesting. I love working in Los Banos with them,” she said.
Golz hopes students understand that librarians genuinely enjoy speaking with them and assisting with their work. “I wish that the students knew how much we truly enjoy talking with them and helping them with their research,” she said.
For students who feel overwhelmed by a paper, project or research assignment, Golz recommends beginning with a few simple ideas.
“I would advise students to start writing down a few of their ideas to help them brainstorm and organize their thoughts,” she said. “Every long journey starts with taking the first few steps, and the same is true with writing and research.”
She encourages students to visit the library or contact a librarian online whenever they need assistance. Whether they are searching for reliable sources, organizing their ideas or simply trying to understand how to begin, the librarians at the Los Banos and Merced campuses are ready to guide them.
Through her work, Golz shows students that research does not have to be intimidating. The process can begin with curiosity, grow through guidance and lead to greater confidence. Sometimes, the first step toward finding an answer is simply asking a question.
