Joan M. Wolk dedicated more than two decades to librarianship, retiring from her roles at the Enoch Pratt Free Library and the University of Maryland Global Campus. She was crucial in maintaining and preserving rare book collections, providing reference assistance, and processing archival materials. Her expertise extended to curating exhibitions celebrating notable Baltimoreans such as Edgar Allan Poe and H. L. Mencken and conducting tours for students and librarians.
Ms. Wolk has always had a passion for learning and reading. One of her high school teachers, a nun, profoundly influenced her academic path. Through the teacher’s rigorous instruction, Ms. Wolk placed out of three introductory German classes at Pennsylvania State University. Although of Polish heritage, she developed a deep appreciation for languages and history, which led her to major in German. Her time at the Goethe-Institute in Germany allowed her to explore numerous art museums, an experience that shaped her intellectual development. Inspired by her European art and culture exposure, she combined her interests in art history and German literature, earning dual degrees from Pennsylvania State University.
Ms. Wolk’s academic journey continued at the University of Pittsburgh, where she earned a Master of Arts in art history. She received a Fulbright Travel Grant and Direct Exchange Fellowship at the University of Bonn, where she researched German literature and 18th-century philosophy and presented a scholarly paper in German. She later obtained a Master of Education from City College of New York and a master’s degree in library and information science from Drexel University, expanding her research and information management expertise.
From 1999 to 2019, Ms. Wolk served as a reference librarian at the Enoch Pratt Free Library’s State Library Resource Center in Baltimore, specializing in general reference, business, science and technology, federal documents, and special collections. As federal documents coordinator, she adapted to the transition from traditional shelf lists to electronic document access. She also worked as a reference librarian at Langsdale Library at the University of Baltimore from 2003 to 2005.
In addition to her work as a librarian, Ms. Wolk served as an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland Global Campus from 2005 to 2020, teaching students how to conduct research using Boolean operators, evaluate sources, and correctly cite materials using American Psychological Association and Modern Language Association style guides. Managing a remote classroom with 65 students over four weeks required adaptability and responsiveness, skills she consistently demonstrated.
Ms. Wolk holds several professional certifications, including certified professional librarian and an intermediate I certificate from the Goethe-Institute in Göttingen, West Germany. Her expertise in interdisciplinary research has been recognized through memberships in Phi Sigma Iota, the International Foreign Language Society at the University of Pittsburgh, and Delta Phi Alpha, the German Honorary Society at Pennsylvania State University.
Beyond her career, Ms. Wolk has been deeply engaged in community service, including volunteer work with Helpline Telephone Services, where she provided crisis intervention for distressed callers. She has also authored scholarly articles and published “Ernst Kris: An Annotated Bibliography.” Her contributions have been recognized with a certificate of recognition from the City of Baltimore and a group award for AskUsNow’s live interactive service.
Born in Philadelphia, Ms. Wolk enjoys reading, writing, cooking, organizing information and objects, and problem-solving. She plans to continue writing and publishing essays while exploring new intellectual pursuits. Currently, she is editing an essay for submission to various journals, demonstrating her ongoing commitment to scholarship and lifelong learning.