Sem C. Sutter
Head, Collection Development
Lauinger Library
Georgetown University Library
37th and O Streets, NW
Washington, DC 20057
scs82@georgetown.edu
202-687-7616
Education
A. M. (1985) University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
Library Science
Ph.D (1982) University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
History—Early Modern Europe
dissertation: “Friedrichstadt an der Eider : An Early Experience in Religious Toleration,
1621-1727”
A. M. (1973) University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
History—Early Modern Europe
B.A. with High Honors (1970) Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana
Major: History
2nd Major: Religion
Non-degree study (1968-69) Philipps-Universität, Marburg, Germany
Concentrations: History and religion
Experience
2010 - : Lauinger Library, Georgetown University.
Head, Collection Development
1983 - 2010: University of Chicago Library.
Assistant Director for Collections & Bibliographer for Germanic Literatures, 1999 - 2010
Bibliographer for Modern Literatures (in 1996 title changed from Bibliographer for
Western European Languages and Literatures), 1987 - 1999
Assistant Curator for Rare Books, 1983 – 1987
Selected Publications
“H. A. Krüss and Gustav Abb as Library Administrators in Occupied Territories,” in
Bibliotheken in der NS-Zeit: Provenienzforschung und Bibliotheksgeschichte, edited by
Stefan Alker, Christina Köstner, Markus Stumpf, (Wien: V&R unipress, 2008), 315-27.
“The Fate of Books Confiscated in the Möbel-Aktion,” in Restitution of Confiscated Art
Works - Wish or Reality?: Documentation, Identification and Restitution of Cultural
Property of the Victims of World War II: Proceedings of the International Academic
Conference Held in Liberec on 24-26 October, 2007, edited by Mečislav Borák, (Prague:
Documentation Centre for Property Transfers of the Cultural Assets of WWII Victims,
Institute of Contemporary History, Czech Academy of Sciences, 2008), 102-13.
“Looting of Jewish Collections in France by the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg,” in
Jüdischer Buchbesitz als Raubgut: Zweites Hannoversches Symposium, edited by Regina
Dehnel, Zeitschrift für Bibliothekswesen und Bibliographie Sonderheft 88 (Frankfurt:
Klostermann, 2006), 120-34.
“Bok & Bibliotek: Göteborg Book Fair 2004,” WESS Newsletter, 28 (Spring 2005): 1617.
“The Lost Jewish Libraries of Vilna and the Frankfurt Institut zur Erforschung der
Judenfrage,” in Lost Libraries: The Destruction of Great Book Collections since
Antiquity, edited by James Raven, (New York & Houndmills, England: Palgrave
Macmillan, 2004), 219-35.
“Ludwig Rosenberger Collection—a ‘political, social, and cultural history of Jews,’”
Caxtonian, 11 (August 2003): 3, 5-6, 8.
“Polish Books in Exile: Cultural Booty across Two Continents, through Two Wars,” in
The Holocaust and the Book: Destruction and Preservation, edited by Jonathan Rose,
(Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2001): 143-61.
“The Fall of the Bibliographic Wall: Libraries and Archives in Unified Germany,”
College and Research Libraries, 55 (September 1994): 403-11.
“BOK ‘93: An American Librarian’s Musings,” Synopsis: Informasjon om Informasjon,
24 (December 1993): 359-61.
“Die Anfänge der Mennonitengemeinde in Friedrichstadt (1621-1650),” Mennonitische
Geschichtsblätter, 37 (1980): 42-53.
“Pfälzische Mennoniten in Schleswig-Holstein, 1693 bis 1698,” Mitteilungsblatt der
Gesellschaft für Friedrichstädter Stadtgeschichte, 17 (Fall, 1980): 159-67.
“Friedrichstadt: An Early German Example of Mennonite Magistrates,” The Mennonite
Quarterly Review, 53 (October 1979): 299-305.
“Mennonites and the Pennsylvania-German Revival,” The Mennonite Quarterly Review,
50 (January 1976): 37-57.
Selected Lectures and Presentations
“Libraries in a Time of War,” panelist, International Relations Roundtable, American
Library Association Annual Conference, Washington, June 2010.
“Habent sua fata libelli: The Fate of Libraries in Wartime,” invited keynote presentation
for “Pillage, Punishment, and Provenance: Books as Victims of Crime,” the Caxton Club
/ Newberry Library Symposium on the Book, Chicago, April 2009.
“H. A. Krüss: National Socialist Kommissar and Compromised Internationalist,” paper
for “Livres et bibliothèques scientifiques dans les territoires occupés et annexés par
l’Allemagne nationale-socialiste,” a conference in Strasbourg, November 2008.
“H. A. Krüss and Gustav Abb as Library Administrators in Occupied Territories,” paper
for “Bibliotheken in der NS-Zeit: Provenienzforschung und Bibliotheksgeschichte,” a
conference at the Universitätsbibliothek Wien and the Wienbibliothek im Rathaus,
Vienna, March 2008.
“The Fate of Books Confiscated in the Möbel-Aktion,“ paper for “Restitution of Works
of Art: A Wish or a Reality?,” a conference in Liberec, Czech Republic, October 2007.
“A Place for ‘the Library as Place’?,” paper, Deutscher Bibliothekartag, Dresden, March
2006.
“Looting of Jewish Collections in France by the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg,”
paper, Zweites Hannoversches Symposium: “Jüdischer Buchbesitz als Raubgut,”
Niedersächsische Landesbibliothek, Hannover, May 2005
“The Lost Jewish Libraries of Vilna,” paper, Cambridge Project for the Book Trust’s
“Lost Libraries” conference, Cambridge, September 2000
“Elektronische Erwerbung - das menschliche Interface: Praktische Erfahrungen eines
amerikanischen Fachreferenten mit Buchauswahl, Bestellung und AnsichtsprogrammManagement im WWW,” presentation, Bibliothekskongress 2000, Leipzig, March 2000
“German Resources Program Dokumentlieferdienst Initiative,” presentation,
Bibliothekskongress 2000, Leipzig, March 2000
“Saving Time and Trees without Getting Lost in the Woods: Electronic Selection at the
University of Chicago,” presentation, Charleston Acquisitions Conference, November
1998
“Books as Booty,” illustrated lecture, University of Chicago Library Society, February
1997, repeated in numerous venues
“The Fall of the Bibliographic Wall: New Resources in Unified Germany,” invited
paper, American Library Association, ACRL Western European Specialists Section
program, June 1993
Exhibits Curated
Ludwig Rosenberger: The Reader as Collector, Department of Special Collections,
University of Chicago Library, October 1995 - September 1996
Wrapped in Color: A Survey of Paste Paper Bookbindings, Department of Special
Collections, University of Chicago Library, March - June 1994.
“The Un-German Spirit”: The Nazi Assault on Arts and Letters, Department of Special
Collections, University of Chicago Library, July - November 1991.
A World at Hand: German Almanache und Taschenbücher in the University of Chicago
Library, Department of Special Collections, University of Chicago Library, October 1986
- March 1987.
Fellowships and Honors
Nedbook Northwest Europe award, 2004
Martinus Nijhoff International West European Specialist Study Grant, 1997
Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst Stipendiat, 1976-77
National Defense Education Act, Title IV, Fellow, 1972-75
Professional Service
Association of College and Research Libraries
Western European Studies Section
Martinus Nijhoff International Study Grant Jury, 1998-2000.
Scandinavian Discussion Group, chair, 1997-98, 1992-93
Program committee, 1997, 1992, 1990
Germanists Discussion Group, chair, 1995-96
Executive Committee, Member-at-Large, 1994-95
Research & Planning Committee, 1993-95
German Resources Project (now German-North American Resources Partnership)
Advisory Board (renamed Steering Committee), 1999-2001
Document Delivery Working Group, chair, 1999-2001
American Library Association
Library/Book Fellows Program Screening Committee, 1990
Gale Research Company Financial Development Award Jury, 1989-90
Languages
German: fluent reading, writing, speaking
Norwegian, Dutch, Swedish, French: fluent reading