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Library
I regularly work across all areas of the library to promote and improve services and make the use of our suite of library services software.
Signage Task Group
Outreach Committee
- Newsletters
- Whiteboard 2015 – 2017
To hear directly from students, faculty and staff in the library the Outreach Committee set up a whiteboard with question prompts, which anyone in the library could respond to anonymously. Questions were fun and engaging or to gather information about preferences or needs. During this time, students and other campus offices made use of the whiteboard to informally solicit feedback from students and others replicated the idea during events or in conjunction with surveys. The responses were photographed and transcribed monthly, with responses going to the relevant committees or offices in the library or responded to directly on social media, for example a fun series of student recommendations for summer activities in RI, to keep students engaged with us while not on campus, and another responding to student questions about the library.
- Social Media
The library’s Facebook account was somewhat underused when I began working on outreach. After encouraging more followers through raffles and by engaging with other college Facebook accounts, and at the recommendation of Amy Barlow, I created the library’s Instagram account, linking it to the Facebook page and as a location for users to check-in and add to their posts. We use these channels to promote events, services and collections, while informally connecting with students, other offices and clubs on campus and the broader Rhode Island and library communities.
Sample Posts
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- Humanizing the library: #RICLibraryMugs – a series of introductions to the library employees,
- Promoting library services, tools and collections: Text-a-Librarian, during orientation; A library browser extension; our Special Collections which I submitted for inclusion to the Year of the City, Providence,
- Engaging with other campus social media accounts: In response to a college post, #RICfoodfight,
- Library themed posts: A ‘shelfie‘ connecting information design and science, in response to a UNESCO announcement; Modeling curiosity and asking questions,
- Connecting with the wider Providence community: Promoting the Doors Open RI Festival,
- Supplementing exhibits and displays: Rhode Island Shoreline exhibit, Summer 2019.
- Sample Program: Drag Queen Story Hour & LGBTQ Children’s Book Display
This display and program made the LGBTQ Children’s book collection, donated and maintained by Professor Elizabeth H. Rowell, visible. When first added to the library, created for Feinstein School of Education and Human Development (FSEHD) students to use in the classroom, the collection had been vandalized and stolen from. To protect it, Professor Rowell and the library decided to move the collection to the reserves collection. While this protected it, it was not seen or used by students. To showcase the collection a selection was displayed in the library exhibit cases and the library and student Pride Alliance co-hosted a Drag Queen Story Hour during Diversity Week. Through library, Unity Center, FSEHD and Providence Youth Pride promotion, we had approximately 45 attendees at the story hour and many more who wished to attend. A second Pride Alliance and library sponsored Drag Queen Story Hour was planned for Spring 2020, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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- Program Proposal
- Response from the Unity Center Attendee Survey
- Attendees
- 93% Students – 7% Other
- Rating
- 89% Excellent – 11% Good 0% Fair – 0% Poor
- Did you Learn Anything from this program/event?
- 100% Yes – 0% No
- Would you recommend this event/program to others?
- 100% Yes – 0% No
- Attendees
- Photos of the event.
Website forms and tools Maintenance
In addition to updating the library website, I have worked with Kieran Ayton, Emerging Technology Librarian, to:
- Update, maintain and expand our use of LibAnswers, reference services platform. Including:
- Adding chat services (2018) and demonstrating how to use the integrated Zoom feature during the COVID-19 pandemic,
- Updating and maintaining reference statistic collection forms for reference librarians and student employees,
- Customizing the Research Help landing page and integrating it with tools to book appointments with librarians and schedule the reference services desk.
- Update digital forms and processes, including:
- Faculty Purchase Recommendation Form – After moving this form to a new platform from a college-maintained server, I added conditional settings to send a copy of requests to the appropriate liaison librarian.
- Library Instruction Statistics Collection Form – Considerable conditional response configuration.
- Student Employment Application – Mapped an existing paper form to digital format; removed problematic citizenship status question, in coordination with Career Services; added pronoun question, with advice from the Unity Center.
College
Committee on General Education one-day Assessment Project Summer 2016
Central Falls Rhode Island College Innovation Lab Planning Council
Professional Organizations
New England Board of Higher Education Open Education Regional Advisory Committee 2020 – Present
Higher Education Library Information Network Library Consortium Task Forces 2017 – 2019
- Website Task Force – New website + GSuite for Nonprofits, used by committees to share documents and run meetings
- Mission Task Force – Mission, Vision & Goals statements
- Strategic Directions Task Force – Draft Strategic Directions, under board review
Association of College & Research Libraries, New England Chapter, Scholarships and Awards Committee 2016 – 2019
Rhode Island Library Association Conference Committee 2011 – 2016
Community
I have been involved in the local folk dance and song community since I began dancing in 1997. In addition to volunteering for the organizations below, I have helped organize local social dance series in Mystic, CT and Kingstown, RI and Providence, RI and founded a dance group in Western MA.
Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS) Archives Task Force
Pinewoods Camp, Inc
- Board Member, 2015 – 2021
- Communications Committee: COVID-19 Page & Folk Love Gram
- New Generations Scholarship: Information & Recipient Thank-You Letters
- Archives Committee: Camp Archives at the University of New Hampshire
Volunteer, 2010 – Present
Publications
- CDSS News, Fall 2019 · Response to: “A Figure by Any Other Name: Exploring Alternatives to Gypsy”
- Pinewoods Post, Autumn 2015 · Ten Years Later – Still Saying Thank You!
- CDSS News, Spring 2012 · Dance Local!
- Westerly Sun, May 2, 2010 · Greeting the equinox (photo)