Judson Strain

Reference Librarian


Library

Working as Olivet’s reference librarian by day, competing in a pinball game league or playing guitar by night. All in a week’s excitement for Dr. Judson Strain.

In addition to being available for questions at the reference desk in Benner Library, Dr. Strain is also a guest lecturer for historiography, college writing and other classes. His areas of specialty include law, history, political science and research.

Before joining Olivet’s faculty in July 2010, he practiced law in Illinois for 16 years and taught American government as an adjunct professor at Judson University. Later in his career, he was the law librarian for Amalgamated Bank of Chicago. He is a member of the Chicago Association of Law Libraries.

In his leisure time, Dr. Strain enjoys long distance bicycling, playing guitar and bass for his church’s contemporary worship services, reading, playing in a pinball game league, playing Ultimate(Frisbee) in ONU’s intramural league, recreational reading and following the sad fortunes of the Chicago Cubs. In his younger days, he played guitar in a rock band and wore black leather pants. Fortunately, very few photos of those days still exist.

He is the father of three children — one in college and two in high school.