Education / Experience / Teaching / Professional Activities / Service / Associations & Memberships

Education

2005    Master of Library and Information Science
            Dominican University , River Forest , IL
            Coursework completed through the College of Saint Catherine , Saint Paul , MN

2003    Master of Arts, Theology
            Saint John’s University School of Theology and Seminary, Collegeville , MN

1999    Bachelor of Arts, English, magna cum laude
            Gustavus Adolphus College, Saint Peter, MN

Experience

2006 – present
Academic Librarian & Assistant Professor, Gustavus Adolphus College .  As systems librarian, I oversee the library’s ILS, Ex Libris Aleph.  Additionally, I act as a liaison with several departments, participate in the shared management of the library, teach library instruction sessions, provide collection development services and assist students at the reference desk.

2005 – 2006
Adult & Technical Services Librarian, Saint Peter Public Library.  I oversaw the operations of the library’s ILS, SirsiDynix Unicorn Library Management System.  I also trained and supervised staff, created an Information Center for patrons and provided collection development for all adult nonfiction, reference, and media collections.

2004 - 2005
Evening Reference Librarian, Rasmussen College – Mankato .  I provided reference service, taught library instruction sessions and created user guides for library databases and other resources.

Teaching

I teach library instruction sessions to students in a variety of disciplines and levels.  Instruction sessions focus on teaching library and research skills to students, are tied to specific courses and can consist of one-time or multiple meetings with students, either in a traditional classroom setting or via individual appointments.  I also provide one-on-one instruction to patrons at the reference desk and support the teaching mission of the college through collection development activities.  Additional teaching initiatives include:

• Teaching a weekly library lab component of POL 200: Analyzing Politics, Fall 2008
• Working with library colleagues to develop an integrated information literacy program across campus, Spring 2008 - present
• Administering Research Practices Survey with Anna Hulseberg to first year students; the survey measures change in information literacy skills across the first year
• Implementing First Term Seminar Pilot Program aimed at strengthening the relationship between the classroom and the library through facilitating additional ways of teaching students information literacy skills, Fall 2007
• Assessing the effects of multiple sessions on student learning in POL 200: Analyzing Politics, Fall 2006 – Spring 2008
• Supervising 7 students enrolled in Career Explorations, January 2008
• Serving as the liaison for Classics; Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies; Political Science; and Religion, 2007 – present
• Participating in ACRL online seminar, “Creating a Comprehensive Plan for Information Literacy.” June 2007
• Teaching 42 instruction sessions, Fall 2008
• Taught 47 instruction sessions, 2007-2008
• Taught 25 instruction sessions, 2006-2007

Professional Activities

Publications

“Collaborative Enhancement of Information Literacy Skills in Political Science” (co-author with Christopher Gilbert). Collaborative Information Literacy Assessments.  Eds. Thomas Mackey and Trudi Jacobson.  New York: Neal-Schuman.  Forthcoming Autumn 2009.

“Freedom of Interpretation:  Gender, Scientific Studies, and the Popular Press.”  Library Instruction Cookbook: 50+ Active Recipes for 1-Shot Sessions. Eds. Ryan Sittler and Doug Cook.  Chicago: ACRL.  Forthcoming Summer 2009.

“Confronting Insecurities:  Seeking Professional Success in the First Year.”  Info Career Trends 9.6. (November 2008).

“Aggregated Interdisciplinary Databases and the Needs of Undergraduate Researchers”  (co-author with Barbara Fister and Amy Fry).  portal: Libraries and the Academy, 8 (2008): 273-292. Article

Conference Presentations

"Bridging the Divide: Connecting First Year Students to the Library." Presentation given at the Minnesota Library Association conference in Bloomington, MN, November 19 - 21, 2008. Slides

“Expanded Search Premier Complete:  Librarian and Undergraduate Attitudes Toward Interdisciplinary Aggregated Databases.”  Presentation given with Amy Fry at the Electronic Resources & Libraries Conference (ER&L) in Atlanta, GA, March 18 – 21, 2008. Slides

“The Open Source Integrated Library System: Support Implications.”  Presentation given with Eric Hinsdale, Carleton College, at GusDay 2008, Gustavus Adolphus College, February 6, 2008. Slides

“Active Learning in Library Instruction Sessions:  Befriending Your Librarian.”  Conference presentation given with Christopher Gilbert at the Collaboration Conference in Bloomington, MN, November 17, 2007. Slides

“The Embedded Librarian:  Engaging Students in Library Research.”  Conference presentation given with Christopher Gilbert at the Minnesota Library Association conference in Mankato, MN, October 26, 2007. Slides

“Am I Dusting Those Shelves for Nothing?  Reference Book Use in a Small Public Library.”  Poster presented at Minnesota Library Association conference in St. Cloud , MN , September 25, 2006. Poster handout

Other Presentations

“Beyond Wikipedia: Exploring a Research Agenda in Information Literacy.”  Presentation given at Faculty Shop Talk, October 24, 2008. Slides

“The Palace of Ambiguity:  First Year Students and the Library.” Presentation given at First Term Seminar instructor training, June 10, 2008. Slides

“Making Use of Electronic Reserves,” presentation given with Barbara Fister, Jay Nordstrom, and Michelle Twait at Teachers Talking Technology, February 19, 2008.

“Operation MnObe MnOPAC:  Koha, WorldCat and the IT Perspective.”  Presentation given at the Future of the Catalog meeting of the Minnesota Oberlin Group Libraries, College of St. Benedict, April 24, 2007. Slides

Professional Development
In my position, professional development activities include connecting with colleagues beyond Gustavus about new technologies in library automation and library instruction initiatives.  Select professional activities include:

• PALS User Groups Meetings, Fall and Spring
• Readers’ Advisory workshop with Nancy Pearl, Blue Earth County Library, Mankato, April 1, 2008
• Considering the ILS Meeting, College of St. Benedict, March 10, 2008
• MnLINK User Group Meeting 2007, Brooklyn Park, MN, November 2, 2007
• 2007 Minnesota Innovative User Groups (MNIUG) Fall Conference, St. Olaf College, October 30, 2007
• “Resource Sharing:  Making a Difference”  16th Annual MINITEX Interlibrary Loan Conference, Continuing Education and Conference Center, University of Minnesota – St. Paul Campus, May 7, 2007

Grants

John S. Kendall Center for Engaged Learning departmental minigrant to develop an information literacy curriculum for the library.

Service

Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library
Supervising research conducted by the Library’s Academic Assistant, Fall 2008
Outreach & Promotion Committee, 2008- present
Wireheads Committee, 2007 – present
ILS Users Group, 2007 – present (formerly Technical Services)
Social Committee, 2008-2009
Web and Publications Committee, 2006 –2008
Open Source Software Task Force (founder), 2007 (later folded into ILS Users Group)
Reviewed The Florist’s Daughter by Patricia Hampl for Gustavus Library Associates newsletter, Ex Libris

Gustavus Adolphus College
Program Assessment and Development Committee, Chair, 2008-2011
Academic Petitions Committee, 2008 – 2011
Academic Affairs Coordinating Council, 2008
Health and Wellness Strategic Initiative Working Group, 2008 - present
First Term Seminar Advisory Board, 2007 – present
Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Program Committee, 2007 - present
Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Curriculum Committee, 2007
Internship Committee for Vicar Peter Bauck, 2008-2009
Reading in Common Selection Committee, 2007 – present
Phi Beta Kappa, Eta Chapter
Members in Course Committee, 2008
Panelist, “Thinking About Grad School in English or Library Science?” hosted by English Department, October 15, 2008
Presenter, New Faculty Orientation library session, August 2008
Presenter, New Faculty Orientation luncheon, September 11, 2008
Chapel Homilist, December 7, 2007
New Student Orientation Faculty Facilitator, September 2007
Guild of St. Ansgar’s Selection Committee, April 2007
Participant, Gustavus Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) group, 2007-2008

Professional Service
Minnesota Oberlin Group Libraries Future of the Catalog committee, 2007

Community
Nicollet County Historical Society Board of Directors, 2007 – present

• Collections Committee
  Executive Committee

St. Peter Reads committee, 2008 - present

Associations & Memberships

American Library Association
Association of College and Research Libraries 
ACRL Instruction, College Libraries, and Women’s Studies sections
Minnesota Library Association
Phi Beta Kappa

Last Updated 11/08