Tell me about your path to librarianship:
I have known that I wanted to be a librarian since High School. I was initially considering journalism but hated the deadlines of being a reporter – even in High School when it wasn’t very consequential. But I really enjoyed the background research and talking to people – asking questions. One of my friends asked “Have you thought about being a Librarian?” and I said “No, but that’s a great idea. Why don’t I think about that some more?”
So I did some exploration in all different kinds of libraries. I ended up doing my undergrad degree at Temple in English and Computer Science because I thought those two things would lead to librarianship. While I was there I had a really great mentor, Kristina DeVoe. I walked into the Paley Library and said “I’m going to be a Librarian and you need to help me!” And they said “No one has ever done that before!” Kristina very kindly offered to create a reference internship experience.
I really connected with the experience of doing reference interviews. But I still didn’t really know what my track in grad school would be and I ended up doing Competitive Intelligence and Knowledge Management because I thought it was interesting. I’m so happy that I ended up in Higher Education because I love the diversity of experiences, I love talking to students – I try to impart the joy of doing research to students. I love making it a moment for myself and I hope that students make it a moment. It makes me so sad when their procrastination results in their stress and rush, because it’s such a joy to me.
I feel very fortunate because it feels serendipitous. As a young kid you don’t know very much. I knew I liked school. Now it’s my career.
What do you most enjoy about your current position?
One of the things I appreciate about my job right now is that it facilitates the lifestyle that I want. I love the work, but I also love the way the work fits in my life.
I also really appreciate my colleagues at Muhlenberg. I could be in the same position and without good relationships I would flounder. I currently have collaborations with librarians, faculty in various departments, instructional designers, students, administrators – so many relationships that add so much value to my life.
I’ve also enjoyed the opportunities that I’ve had to connect with people outside my college. It’s the people that really make the work.
These are difficult times for many people. There’s a global pandemic, its devastating effect on the economy, people are acknowledging anti-Black racism and protesting – there are so many people in real turmoil – and there are real challenges in higher education as a result as well. How have these things impacted your work?
I really felt the emergency of Donald Trump becoming President four years ago. I found that I can handle situations better if I feel that I’m taking action and so I got involved in community organizing and I continue to work for justice in my community. Right now, my focus is on disruption of mass incarceration and getting police out of local schools, and I try to impart my values on my work within my library community. That kind of action has sustained me when things feel really terrible because I try to change what I can, and… I don’t know… not worry about the things I can’t.
But I also found a really good therapist! It’s easy to catastrophize catastrophes and not know what to do. But one thing I’ve been reflecting on is the good fortune I have to be in a better place than I was four years ago. So even when I felt like the world was ending, I have still found great joy in the past four years. I try to recognize the fortune in that situation and also weaponize myself to destroy systems of injustice. It’s a balance between working to help other people and taking care of myself.
Let’s switch gears… What have you read, attended or participated in recently that has had an impact on your professional development?
I’ve recognized that the pandemic is a global trauma and I watched this awesome webinar, The Introduction to Trauma-Informed Librarianship led by Karina Hagelin. They did a really nice job and it’s recorded and you can get the slides.
The other thing is a 2020 CLAPs (The Critical Librarianship and Pedagogy Symposium in Arizona) presentation titled “Beyond Self Care and Standardization: Creating a sustainable teaching practice through engaged pedagogy” by Veronica Arellano Douglas, Emily Deal, and Carolina Hernandez.
These two resources also demonstrate this balance of supporting others, creating a compassionate environment, and also taking care of ourselves.
Veronica has been a force in my professional life. She started Librarian Design Share, which is a website about design for libraries. In my first academic position, I was one of four librarians in a college library and was doing all of the outreach. I found Librarian Design Share and it was a huge resource for me. When Veronica decided she wanted to focus on other things, she (and her co-administrator April) gave it to me and a friend to continue.
Veronica also recently edited a book with Joanna Gadsby and I have a chapter in it. It’s forthcoming and titled: Deconstructing Service in Libraries: Intersections of Identities and Expectations. This book is incredible. I’m so excited to read it and I’m really honored to have a chapter in it. My chapter is about the application of a community organizing method to my teaching practice. In community organizing, we use a tactic called vulnerability practice. It’s a community-building strategy in which you share your personal experience by reflecting on guiding questions in order for other people to realize that your identity characteristics impact your experience, but also how our experiences are similar across those things. It’s supposed to allow you to create a network of trust, but also be able to call people out and in to combating white supremacy. Writing that chapter has helped me articulate what I value in my library practice, and how engaging in this way benefits students, but also benefits me as a teacher so that I don’t feel lost.
Honestly, I find the whole idea of “one shots” to be really troubling. It just is not an empowering experience. So it has been a struggle for me and still kind of is, but I find if I enter the classroom as a whole person, share with people about my life and the real experience of information seeking, it changes the encounter for everyone.
With so many responsibilities and so much going on, why did you choose to contribute so much time and energy to the Delaware Valley Chapter of the ACRL?
I joined DVC leadership because I wanted connections and I wanted to expand my leadership capabilities and I think it worked! So I would encourage anyone who is looking to grow as a librarian to become involved in something like DVC. And I continue because I believe in the work and the community.
What about your non-working time? Tell me about your interests:
I try to spend as much time outside as possible. It’s not really exciting…hiking, walking, gardening, mowing the lawn, sitting! Anytime I visit with friends it’s in my backyard. Fresh air is always good for my spirit.