I am ACRL Member of the Week

Meet ACRL Member: Debbie Feisst

ABOUT

Debbie Feisst
Public Services Librarian
HT Coutts Library, University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Twitter

Describe yourself in three words

Collaborative, engaging, energetic.

What are you reading (or listening to on your mobile device)?

I am just finishing the 3rd book in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, "Voyager." I am a little late to the Outlander party but the authentic historic plot lines combined with the fantasy of time travel have me hooked. Next up, tackle a novel in Spanish. As far as audio, I listen to podcasts and my absolute favorite is Song Exploder, which features musicians talking about the creative process behind a song.

Describe ACRL in three words

Community, informed, inclusive.

What do you value about ACRL?

Moving from a public library to an academic library almost 10 years ago, ACRL provided me a hook to hang my hat on at a time when I needed a sense of community. The connections I have created with academic librarians in similar roles via my involvement with EBSS have provided me with tremendous value over these years. The ACRL conference is a perfect mix of all the things I love most about academic libraries.

What do you as an academic librarian contribute to your campus?

As Subject Librarian for Secondary Education as well as the Aboriginal Teacher Education Program, I am lucky to work daily with undergraduate & graduate students as well as faculty members in the Faculty of Education. A large part of this is helping pre-service teachers as they work to become qualified teachers, providing access to resources for K-12 classrooms and supporting teaching, learning & research needs.

In your own words

We in higher education are privileged to spend our daily work lives in an environment that values curiosity, discovery and lifelong learning. I know how fortunate I am to have an employer that supports professional development but also that at any given moment, I could attend a recital/ lecture on the Mars Rover / workshop on R language for text analysis. It is energizing to be in the midst of so much potential!