I am ACRL Member of the Week

Curious, eager, empathetic.

Much of my reading is in the news/magazine realm. Or on Twitter, for better or worse! I enjoy some podcasts such as "It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders" and am eager to listen to Radiolab's "Dolly Parton's America.” When I do read books, they're usually non-fiction. The last one I really loved was, perhaps unsurprisingly, “The Library Book” by Susan Orlean.

Collaborative, complex, networked.

I greatly appreciate the connections I have made with librarians across the U.S. and Canada through my work in ACRL. My work in the Distance and Online Learning Section has contributed to my learning around effective practices for online information literacy instruction. The opportunity to recently contribute to a section-specific (PPIRS) information literacy framework was a satisfying and collaborative process.

I'm lucky to work in a library that serves both schools on our co-located campus. I partner with faculty at both institutions to design information literacy workshops that contribute to student research success. I appreciate the opportunities I have to build relationships with faculty and staff, which allow me to customize both online and in-person instruction to the needs of students and their research projects. I feel very grateful that we are well-embedded into the curriculum in specific courses and programs! Additionally, understanding the research assignments and courses taught in my liaison areas allows me to make informed decisions around collection purchases. I also love that as part of the whole University of Washington Libraries system, I get to work with colleagues on our other two campuses to contribute to student and organizational success more broadly.

I am happiest in my work when I am interacting directly with students, which means that most of the time, this is a dream job. Even if that is simply reviewing students’ answers to an online research workshop, I am fascinated by how they approach research and see the world of information. I am always learning from them! Additionally, I am regularly seeking ways to bring critical pedagogy and inclusive design into my work by centering student voices and experiences as often as possible. Lately, I've been learning more about open pedagogy and open student work, which I find fascinating and rewarding.