{"id":944,"date":"2020-12-08T20:38:51","date_gmt":"2020-12-08T20:38:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.acrldvc.org\/news\/?p=944"},"modified":"2021-03-03T21:24:09","modified_gmt":"2021-03-03T21:24:09","slug":"meet-the-board-meaghan-moody-immersive-technologies-librarian-university-of-rochester-libraries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.acrldvc.org\/news\/2020\/12\/08\/meet-the-board-meaghan-moody-immersive-technologies-librarian-university-of-rochester-libraries\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Board: Meaghan Moody: Immersive Technologies Librarian, University of Rochester Libraries"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Tell me about your path to librarianship<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was an English major in college (at the University of Kansas) and started working in libraries in my undergraduate research library, which was where the rare books and special collections were housed. A Special Collections Librarian there mentored me and encouraged my interest in pursuing an MLIS after graduation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I took some time to mull it over. I was encouraged to get very bored before going back to school, which I think is good advice! I worked for a Public Library for a few months. Then, I worked as a Readers\u2019 Advisor for the New Jersey State Library Talking Book and Braille Center, where I met another librarian who became a mentor. We talked a lot about the value of building digital skills, regardless of whether I would remain in libraries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This led me to consider coding programs, but I realized I could also explore my interests in technology in a public-centered context such as a library. I found an internship at the Penn Libraries in their technology-rich learning commons, and I worked on my MLIS (at Rutgers) at the same time.

My first full-time position was also at the Penn Libraries as a Teaching and Learning Librarian. At this time, Penn Libraries fostered an immersive technologies initiative, and I became increasingly involved with those tools and platforms, which led me to my current position at the University of Rochester. I\u2019m the first Immersive Technologies Librarian here at the River Campus Libraries on the Digital Scholarship team, and I am helping to establish an immersive technology space and program here called Studio X<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are immersive technologies in this context?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Extended reality is the umbrella term that encapsulates:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Virtual Reality<\/strong> (VR), which uses advanced display and immersive audio technologies to create an interactive, three-dimensional environment. Users are in a headset, and they can ride roller coasters, walk around ancient Egypt, and examine molecular structures, for example. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Augmented Reality<\/strong> (AR), which uses digital technology to overlay virtual information and objects on the real world. Pok\u00e9mon Go is the go-to example.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mixed Reality<\/strong> (MR), which is a hybrid between the two in which the digital and real world are interacting and responding in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of technologies, it\u2019s working with things like 3D scanners, 3D modeling tools, 360 cameras, and gaming engines, such as Unity and Unreal, to make virtual worlds and experiences. It\u2019s using photogrammetry to take photos of objects and then reassembling them into the digital space with software. These technologies are being used across disciplines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\u2019re being used to train surgeons, to help archaeologists reimagine and reconstruct cultural heritage sites, and to augment teaching and learning. The pandemic has really accelerated their use and development. For example, there are now so many social VR platforms, which users are leveraging to recreate physical spaces and connect with other people without the need to social distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is so interesting! And it\u2019s raising a question in my mind, the old one about whether Libraries and Information Technology Services are separate organizations in higher education settings or whether they\u2019re blended and which entity on a campus takes responsibility for this kind of work. I think it\u2019s really cool that this work is happening in the libraries.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, libraries have always been at the forefront of adopting, thinking critically about, and providing access to new technologies, so it makes sense that we\u2019re the folks who are there first being the innovators. And these technologies require interdisciplinary collaboration and varied perspectives – you see that in a ton of the projects that are cropping up – so it\u2019s important to have this type of program and space in the library. It\u2019s a natural cross-unit space that can bring all those users together into a community of practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you most enjoy about your current position?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people. I started at the end of February, and I worked for about three weeks on campus and have been virtual ever since. It\u2019s a strange way to start a new position! My colleagues have been so supportive and understanding of how bizarre this is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve also been able to collaborate with some amazing students who are participating in a fellowship program<\/a>. They\u2019ve helped me to connect with other students and keep me informed of the student experience here. Their enthusiasm for the program we are building together has also been inspiring during these challenging months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, one of the best parts about my job is that I\u2019m encouraged to be creative and to try new things. I\u2019m learning something new every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are difficult times for many people. There\u2019s 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?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because I\u2019ve been virtual this entire time, I haven\u2019t really been able to connect to campus in a satisfying way. I\u2019m grateful to be working, but people are very tired and worried about the future. I see it on everyone\u2019s faces on Zoom. I see it on my own face in my tiny Zoom window. In spite of this fatigue and low morale, I see folks continue to push forward and not in a business-as-usual way but more in trying to make interventions, or educating themselves, pushing themselves to try new things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One example is how our students and my colleagues have participated in the Black Live Matter protests in Rochester – in particular their continued support for Daniel Prude and his family – throughout the semester. That was a really great introduction to Rochester for me – to see this community forming surrounding this movement, not only in the city in general, but in groups at the university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m starting to see more people participating in these challenging conversations about EDI initiatives and educating themselves. While I\u2019m seeing more awareness, education, and reflection, I\u2019d like to see more systemic change in addition to the educational resources that are being developed. It\u2019s a good time to take a hard look at how we recruit and retain staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Engagement in general has also been so much more difficult. I\u2019m trying to start a new program and trying to connect with people, and I\u2019m so aware of all of the extra burdens everyone is shouldering daily, which I\u2019m also experiencing, and it\u2019s hard for me to ask them to hold some space to consider something new, such as immersive technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, a lot of immersive technologies are being used for social justice work in really creative ways, so I pay attention to that, and I\u2019ve been documenting a lot of those use cases to show others because that\u2019s something that people can appreciate right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s switch gears\u2026 What have you read, attended or participated in recently that has had an impact on your professional development?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the good things about the pandemic is that I\u2019ve been able to attend so many more conferences than I normally would be able to attend. In particular – and this is shameless promotion for ACRL DVC but I really thought our Fall Program<\/a> was great! – I enjoyed Fobazi and Eamon\u2019s conversation, which was very nourishing and real. I feel like we\u2019re all trying to persevere, keep working, and approach business as usual, but it\u2019s just not possible. I really appreciated hearing about their struggles and the critical questions they are asking. That made me feel more validated at a time when I\u2019m not feeling especially powerful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also attended the 2020 Unity for Humanity Summit<\/a> (Unity is one of the creation platforms that is really big in immersive technologies), a two day conference during which presenters shared how they use these technologies to drive social impact and change. I attended a session on Black creators and was introduced to the work of Anatola Araba Pabst<\/a>, Steven Christian<\/a>, and Joel Kachi Benson<\/a>, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has been really nice to participate consistently in this community throughout my transition to a new position and state. It has been challenging for me to get integrated into my new library just because I don\u2019t see my colleagues in other departments regularly. There aren\u2019t any visual cues or spontaneous conversations that you would otherwise have in the library, so I\u2019ve really appreciated being able to maintain this connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After participating in a few ACRL\/DVC programs as both a presenter and attendee, I was able to join the chapter\u2019s social committee. Building off the success of the fall 2018 Librarians as Advocates program<\/a>, we held an event with Books Through Bars<\/a>, which was really cool. I was then asked to join the Board, and it has been wonderful to collaborate with this group across so many libraries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other thing I really like about this chapter is our focus on students and the ways we support them through scholarships and mentorships<\/a>. That was so important to me as a student, so I really appreciate that focus of this group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are your goals or hopes for the upcoming year?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the planned physical space for Studio X has been delayed by a year, we focused on pilot programming and needs assessment this fall. We\u2019re now planning to open next summer, so I will begin to shift gears to thinking about policies, equipment management, and hygiene, etc.\u2014 shifting from the virtual to the physical realm as we plan for the open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What about your non-working time? Tell me about your interests:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

HA. This has been pretty challenging! Work \/ life balance for me is very minimal and is something I\u2019m working on. That being said, the Rochester area is absolutely beautiful. We\u2019ve been able to go hiking and running to get out of the house but still maintain social distance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other thing I\u2019ve been doing is a lot of cooking. I even finally started to use my grandmother\u2019s pasta maker that had been sitting on a shelf for about 7 years, so – progress!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tell me about your path to librarianship I was an English major in college (at the University of Kansas) and started working in libraries in my undergraduate research library, which was where the rare books and special collections were housed. A Special Collections Librarian there mentored me and encouraged my interest in pursuing an MLIS … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Meet the Board: Meaghan Moody: Immersive Technologies Librarian, University of Rochester Libraries”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_s2mail":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-944","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-meet-the-board-interview"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.acrldvc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/944","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.acrldvc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.acrldvc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.acrldvc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.acrldvc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=944"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.acrldvc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/944\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":958,"href":"https:\/\/www.acrldvc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/944\/revisions\/958"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.acrldvc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=944"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.acrldvc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=944"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.acrldvc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=944"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}