Contact: Sara Diedrich, diedrichs@missouri.edu
Aug. 4, 2025
Photos by Nicholas Benner
Cindy Bassett has never been one to accept limits for herself. When she wants something, she finds a way to make it happen — a defining trait that has shaped both her personal journey and her professional role as director of the University of Missouri Law Library.
As a young girl with an insatiable love for stories, Bassett grew tired of waiting for someone to read to her. So, she taught herself. With that early act of independence, she unlocked the power of books and opened the door to a lifetime of learning — entirely on her own terms.
Bassett brought that same indomitable spirit to Mizzou Law, joining the staff as a librarian in 2007 and rising to library director in 2023 — a promotion hard-earned after more than five years of balancing full-time work with law school and motherhood. Across every stage of her life — as attorney, librarian, educator, student, wife, mother and daughter — books have remained the bedrock of her identity, shaping her choices, her roles and how she sees the world.
It’s as though days like Saturday — National Book Lovers Day — were made with people like Bassett in mind.
“I have to have a book with me wherever I go,” she said. “My husband took me to a demolition derby. I’d never been to one before. I took a book in case it was boring.”
For Bassett, life without books is simply unimaginable.
Prologue
As director of the Law Library, Bassett oversees the development and management of the library’s print and digital collections, ensuring law students and faculty have access to the resources they need for research and scholarship. Throughout her career, she has specialized in helping students navigate electronic legal databases and build a deeper understanding of the law. In addition to her administrative role, Bassett regularly guest lectures on a range of legal research topics, including legislative history and medical research for legal professionals.
Her journey, however, has unfolded like a page-turner — each chapter revealing a deeper layer of self-discovery.
Character development
Bassett’s story begins in Sheridan, Wyoming, where her parents settled after her father returned from the Vietnam War. Originally from Louisiana, her parents moved west for a fresh start, drawn to the area by her father’s love for the mountains, sparked during his military training in Colorado.
It was here, among Wyoming’s wide-open spaces and towering mountains, that Bassett first discovered her love of books and the endless worlds they contained.
“I think I came to reading as a form of escape — a way to visit other places and live other lives,” she said. “I remember taking a blanket out into our back yard and spreading it out under our crabapple tree. I had my book and a snack. Life was good.”
After her parents divorced, Bassett returned with her mother to Louisiana, where she received a full-ride scholarship to Louisiana Tech University to study civil engineering — becoming the second in her family to attend college, after her older sister.
Though gifted in math and science, Bassett soon realized civil engineering wasn’t her calling. With law school in the back of her mind, Bassett shifted her focus to the subject she loved most: English. And thanks to her pragmatic older sister, she tacked on an education degree, which required a library class.
The conflict
After graduating, Bassett worked as a substitute teacher and took a job at the public library in Laramie, Wyoming, a decision that led to an unexpected revelation.
“I loved teaching, but I really loved the library,” she said. “Working at the circulation desk, you see every book that passes through, you talk to people who genuinely love to read, and you get to really know the community. A library isn’t just a place for books — it’s a place where you can learn everything.”
With renewed inspiration, Bassett accepted a position at the University of Wyoming library, where she soon reached the limits of her educational background.
“I kept wanting to do all these librarian-level projects, but I couldn’t because I wasn’t a librarian,” she said. “I was dissatisfied enough that I knew I would have to move to get a librarian degree because there were no library schools there.”
A colleague who had just graduated from Mizzou's library program connected Bassett with the university. She soon landed an assistantship at Ellis Library, teaching students to use databases while earning her degree.
The resolution
After earning her library degree in 2001, Bassett accepted a position with the St. Louis County Library, later moved to the State Library in Jefferson City and, three years later, joined the Mizzou Law Library.
At a library conference, Bassett was enamored with the experiences shared by directors of law libraries. Once again, she found herself constrained by the limits of her background and knew that if she ever wanted a shot at directing a law library, she'd need a law degree.
Law school would be a huge undertaking, especially for a mother with a toddler and a full-time job. But she buckled down and studied early in the mornings for the entrance exam. Her hard work paid off with an impressive LSAT score. She applied and was accepted into the Mizzou School of Law. By the time she graduated and became director of the Law Library, her son was in middle school.
“I always thought of myself as a sprinter,” she said. “Law school taught me I could sustain effort over a long period of time. I had it in me, and I did it.”
Epilogue
With her busy life, Bassett has discovered new ways to make time for reading — listening to audiobooks during her commute and using the Kindle app on her phone while walking around campus. However, there’s nothing like an old-fashioned print book for reading before bed.
She also launched a modest read-and-return shelf at the library — a rotating collection of popular books donated by students, faculty and staff — to help law students reconnect with the joy of reading. Each book has a simple sticker inviting readers to enjoy and return when finished.
“I wanted to do my part to help law students hold on to their love of reading, knowing how much I missed it amid the demands of casebooks and coursework,” said Bassett, whose favorite genres of books are fantasy and young adult fiction. “Left to my own devices, I’d read about dragons all day long — it would be fantasy this, dragons that and magic everywhere.”
Cindy Bassett’s recommended reading list
- “Still Life” by Sarah Winman; Genre: Historical Fiction; A sweeping story of love and art set in post-war Italy.
- “Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card; Genre: Science Fiction; A classic tale of strategy, survival and the making of a child soldier in a future war.
- “The Ocean at the End of the Lane” by Neil Gaiman; Genre: Fantasy Fiction; A haunting, lyrical novel blending memory, myth and magic.
- “The Solace of Open Spaces” by Gretel Ehrlich; Genre: Memoir; Reflections on life in rural Wyoming, blending nature writing and personal narrative.
- “The Bean Trees” by Barbara Kingsolver; Genre: Fiction; A heartwarming and humorous novel about a young woman’s unexpected journey of motherhood and community.
