I currently work as an Assistant Librarian for the Jefferson Community College in Watertown, New York. I’m responsible for managing reference services and coordinating the library instructional program. In addition to teaching basic information literacy and library instruction, I teach a few other assorted classes focusing on social technologies.
I received my undergraduate degree in Architectural History from the Savannah College of Art and Design and my masters in Library and Information Studies from the University of Oklahoma. Before completing my masters, I was sure I was going to work in a public library as a Young Adult Librarian, but my focus changed after taking a course on information literacy instruction. Since then it has been my passion to help students navigate the often tricky world of information resources and how to utilize them best for research purposes, skills not only crucial for succeeding in school but also in life.
My general area of interest focuses on teaching and assessing information literacy and transliteracy skills in community college settings. I’m particularly interested in the use of emerging technologies to enhance the instructional experience, whether that be within a classroom setting, during a reference interaction with an individual student, embedded within a class in a content management system or during a reference chat session. In fact, this interests me so much that I co-host a podcast called WGIL Room, devoted entirely to topics concerning emerging technology in libraries and information literacy instruction.