I am ACRL Member of the Week

Collegial, collaborative, creative.

I am reading David Mitchell's The Bone Clocks and Neil deGrasse Tyson's Astrophysics for People in a Hurry.

Connective professional inspiration.

ACRL (and especially its amazing Sections and Interest Groups) has been my professional home for my entire library career. ACRL has given me the ability to build a network of kindred spirits from whom I learn and grow, programs and development opportunities that help me see what's next, and colleagues across the country who support and inspire me. ACRL helps librarians stay grounded in stormy times, adjust to the changing tides of the academy, and support our users' search for light and truth.

My role as Head of Specialized Research Services is to coordinate the activities of our Data Services, Digital Scholarship Services, and Scholarly Communication services, and to create a coherent, high value set of services to support our users throughout the research or project life cycle. I work to knit these services closely together with our Liaison work, our reference and instructional services, and our collection building efforts. I also work hard to create a supportive and inspiring work environment for the folks in my departments, and for my colleagues in general.

Librarians occupy a unique niche on campus, as neutral University territory, as a non-judgmental resource for every year's new crop of students, and as a key partner in the educational mission of our faculty. But our biggest contribution, I think, is in the role as a connector: as the person on campus who can cut through noise and barriers to help that student find the article that speaks to them, learn that new data tool that allows them to take their work to the next level, or connects them to the IRB specialist who can help them get their proposal accepted. I think librarians do these things (and so many more!) all day long, sometimes without even thinking about them, but it's really quite astonishing! I feel pretty lucky that I get to play that role.