We all do a variety of things. I maintain the library website, troubleshoot and work with databases, and put statistics together for reports. I promote the library and write articles for various Ivy Tech Community College-Northeast publications. I teach library information skills to students in their classes, and help them with their research when they come into the library. I’m in charge of our online Ask a Librarian service, which allows students to get help from a librarian without actually coming to the library. And sometimes I even help check out books.
Q. Where does your expertise come from?
I taught high school history and English for nine years before I became a librarian. As an undergraduate student at Indiana University, I studied a lot of history, which gives one a broad working knowledge on just about everything. I also received my Library Science master’s degree from IU Bloomington. I was there in the early days of the Internet/World Wide Web revolution, so I learned about both traditional, print resources and the emerging Web products.
Q. What is unique about you that could be of service to the Ivy Tech community?
I’ve always been interested in geography and history, the world outside the United States, and current events/news. I was a real news junkie when I was a teenager; I would watch all three major network evening news programs if they were on at different times. As an adult I’ve always subscribed to a weekly news magazine and the daily paper. And I’ve always liked science—I was a biology major when I started college. Consequently, when students need help researching a topic, I probably already know something about it.
Q. Recommend a book to us that you enjoyed.
You can’t go wrong reading Twain or Vonnegut. You know those novels and plays you had to read in high school English classes? They’re all better if you read them again as an adult. Unfortunately, I don’t read many books. But I get The Economist, Sky and Telescope, Natural History, and Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History at home, and those magazines keep me busy.
Q. What’s your favorite thing to do outside the library?
I watch way too much television. I moved to Fort Wayne almost three years ago, and bought a house a year later. Any homeowner knows how much time it takes to keep a home in order. I spend a lot of time puttering around out in the yard, mowing, working on the landscaping, cutting firewood, clearing brush, etc. At this stage it’s still fun, but eventually it will become a chore.
I teach information literacy skills to our patrons. Most of my time is spent teaching others how to find information in databases and other resources, but information literacy also encompasses how to appropriately use and think critically about information. I also dabble in decorating the library, creating library guides and marketing materials, and I organize our annual Edible Book Festival.
Q. Where does your expertise come from?
I worked in my college library while earning bachelor’s degrees in Anthropology and Religious Studies at the University of Virginia, and after graduation I joined the Peace Corps to teach English in central Africa for a few years. We were trained to lesson plan using 4MAT, which divides each lesson into segments where students are motivated, informed, practice what they’ve learned, and then apply it to new situations. When I returned to the States I wanted to continue teaching while working in an academic library, and this position was perfect for me. I’m now in my sixth year of researching on a daily basis and have grown very familiar with available databases and how they work. It’s not always intuitive! I also just finished a master’s degree in Library Science, which familiarized me with the wide variety of issues involved in running a library: selecting and organizing library collections, intellectual freedom and censorship, management, etc.
Q. What is unique about you that could be of service to the Ivy Tech community?
I’m very familiar with where information sources are hidden and how to find them. I am also naturally curious about the world and will pursue the answers to questions to the ends of the earth – it’s not at all unusual for me to continue looking for the “perfect” source long after the patron requesting it has left the building! I can also chat with you in French if you prefer it to English.
Q. Recommend a book to us that you enjoyed.
A few years ago I took a class on youth literature, and futuristic novel The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld was assigned reading. I don’t normally read teen fiction, but I found this one so compelling that I was driven to seek out and read the rest of the books in the series (usually until the wee hours of the morning.) The constant cliffhangers drew me in despite the fact that I disliked the main character, but I also enjoyed the social commentary.
Q. What’s your favorite thing to do outside the library?
I love spending time with my family. My daughter, Mimi, is 16 months old and enjoys dancing, taking long walks, and pretending to sneeze.
Do you need help finding a book? How about guidance in using a database? Or even a quick tour of the library itself? Any of our library staff would be happy to help you. We love to find resources and answer questions. Be sure to stop by this summer and get to know us, because as the fortune cookie says, “Librarians possess novel information!” We’ll look forward to seeing you!
Fort Wayne & Warsaw Library Blogs 
