Featured Member: Courtney Baron

Courtney Baron is Teaching and Learning Librarian,  Oxford College Library, Oxford College of Emory University, Oxford, GA. She has been a member of CLS for 2 years.

Share  your CLS experiences. Which committees have your served on? Have you ever attended a Friday Nite Feast? Tell us about CLS programs you’ve attended at ACRL or ALA.
Since college librarians tend to wear many hats,  I find the CLS listserv especially valuable because it covers all topics. I was able to attend the Friday Nite Fest at the 2016 ALA Annual conference in Orlando where I connected with a librarian who shared research worksheets she uses to train her student employees on the reference desk.  We’ve adapted these worksheets and still continue to use them  today.

Favorite author(s)? Any recent books you enjoyed?
I’m bad with favorites – I can’t choose just one! I read a wide variety of books, especially non-fiction. I’m currently reading Warcross by Marie Lu. If you liked Ready Player One, you’ll love this!

Most amazing library you have ever seen?
While at a conference a few years ago, I attended morning rooftop yoga at the Salt Lake City Library and it continues to be a favorite memory. The library has shops on the first floor and is absolutely beautiful with stunning 360 degree views of the mountains.

How do you keep current with LIS, technology, pedagogy, and other professionally-related topics? What are your favorite  journals, listservs, Twitter handles, blogs, journals, and other sources?
My current research interests are feminist pedagogy, games in academic libraries, and embedded librarianship in the arts.  I subscribe to the ACRL Arts, College Libraries, Framework, and Instruction Section listservs but I’m also  an active  member of ARLIS/NA.  I helped  found a staff collection in our library which has the latest releases in the field. I’m working my way through The Fun of Motivation: Crossing the Threshold Concepts by Mary Francis. I also  like taking classes. Last year I took an excellent ALA course on Assessing Student Learning with Instructional Technologies, taught by Melissa Mallon. I’m taking a Library Juice Academy course this spring  on Feminist Pedagogy for Library Instruction and I’m excited to attend the new ACRL Immersion this summer!

What tools  or software application amazes you or made a huge difference in your work and why?
Zotero  is essential for keeping  my research organized. I love HaikuDeck for creating easy minimalist presentations. I discovered Canva last year when making an infographic for our library’s annual report and now everyone uses it for all our design and social media needs.

Have you learned a new skill recently? If so, tell us more!
In the past year, we’ve grown our instruction program to include sound and stage design in Theater classes. We teach students Audacity for creating and editing audio tracks and Sketch- Up for designing 3D spaces.

Additional contact info. including website, Twitter handle,  LinkedIn profile

Contact Courtney by email: courtney.baron@emory.edu
Learn more about Courtney: http://oxford.library.emory.edu/about/contact/directory/Baron-Courtney.html

Featured Member: Raymond Pun

Raymond Pun is First Year Student Success Librarian, Henry Madden Library, California State University, Fresno, Fresno, CA. He has been a member of CLS for 5+ years.

Share your CLS experiences. Which committees have your served on? Have you ever attended a Friday Nite Feast? Tell us about CLS programs you’ve attended at ACRL or ALA.
Unfortunately, I haven’t served on any committees (yet) ! But hopefully in the future. I’ve attended an event or two in the past at ALA Annual but would like to stay connected somehow.

Favorite author(s)? Any recent books you enjoyed?
A book I read recently “The War on Normal People: The Truth About America’s Disappearing Jobs and Why Universal Basic Income Is Our Future” by Andrew Yang – Covers different perspectives of universal basic income to economic inequality to automation from a venture capitalist. I enjoy Kristin Wong’s writing on personal finance and her new book “Get Money: Live The Life You Want, Not Just The Life You Can Afford.”

Most amazing library you have ever seen?
In Bukhara, Uzbekistan, there are many sites that were once libraries during the Silk Road period (114 BCE to 1450s CE). They are all pretty fascinating.

How do you keep current with LIS, technology, pedagogy, and other professionally-related topics? What are your favorite journals, listservs, Twitter handles, blogs, journals, and other sources?
Everything! RSS feeds for journals work really well, reviewing Library Journal/American Libraries; reading and participating in social media conversations like Twitter Chats; looking up conference programs (even the ones I don’t attend) can give me plenty of food for thought. Librarian Aaron Tay’s blog on Musings about librarianship can generate a lot of interesting discussions too: http://musingsaboutlibrarianship.blogspot.com/

What tools or software application amazes you or made a huge difference in your work and why?
That changes every year, actually. First it was Prezi in 2013, and then Bepress, Historypin, Omeka, Tableau, etc. I am generally amazed at how these tools and applications can be adapted into library context. Currently I am exploring at Suma from NC State University Libraries, an open source “tablet-based toolkit for collecting, managing, and analyzing data about the usage of physical spaces.” It’s definitely worth investigating!

Have you learned a new skill recently? If so, tell us more!
I taught a one-shot recently, and the class focused on social media. This isn’t really a new skill but something interesting and related: the students were learning how to cite social media sources in APA. These social media sources included SnapChat, Instagram, Periscope, Twitter, etc. It was very interesting to delve into this matter, and show them that anything that gets put out there can be cited and used as an evidence for research and discovery. I thought that was fascinating point to share with students.

Additional contact info. including website, Twitter handle, LinkedIn profile
Contact Ray by email: raypun@csufresno.edu
Follow Ray on Twitter: @raypun101

Featured Member: Samantha Thompson-Franklin

Samantha Thompson-Franklin is Acquisitions and Collections Development Librarian, Lewis-Clark State College Library, Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston, ID. She has been a member of CLS for approximately 10 years. 

Share your CLS experiences. Which committees have your served on? Have you ever attended a Friday Nite Feast? Tell us about CLS programs you’ve attended at ACRL or ALA.
I have served on the Membership and Communications and Professional Development Committees and I am a currently a member of the CLIPP Committee. I attended Friday Nite Feasts several years ago at the 2006 and 2008 Annual Conferences and enjoyed meeting various CLS library luminaries. My most memorable conference attendance was ACRL 2015 in Portland.

Favorite author(s)? Any recent books you enjoyed?
I am currently listening to “The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women” by Kate Moore. It’s a true story about an amazing group of women in the 1920s who came together to right the wrong that was done to them. A wonderful example from history of strength, courage, and perseverance.

Most amazing library you have ever seen?
Seattle Public is my most favorite library. The architecture is stunning and different.

How do you keep current with LIS, technology, pedagogy, and other professionally-related topics? What are your favorite journals, listservs, Twitter handles, blogs, journals, and other sources?
I enjoy keeping up on COLLIB-L,  and reading American Libraries, and College & Research Libraries News.

Have you learned a new skill recently? If so, tell us more!
I am on a statewide leadership advisory committee and I have been learning a lot about what it means to be a leader. It’s been a very eye-opening experience.

Connect with Samantha on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-thompson-franklin-a4964511/
Contact Samantha by email: sfranklin@lcsc.edu

Featured Member: Jennifer Steinford

Jennifer Steinford is Dean of Library, CSU Online Library, Columbia Southern University, Orange Beach, AL. She has been a member of CLS for 2 years.

Share your CLS experiences. Which committees have your served on? Have you ever attended a Friday Nite Feast? Tell us about CLS programs you’ve attended at ACRL or ALA.
I serve on the CLIPP Committee.

Favorite author(s)?
Kate Chopin.

Any recent books you enjoyed?
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.

Most amazing library you have ever seen?
I have been fortunate to see many remarkable libraries. The St. Louis Public Central Library was breathtaking and the Library of Celsus in Ephesus, even in ruins was astounding to see.

How do you keep current with LIS, technology, pedagogy, and other professionally-related topics? What are your favorite journals, listservs, Twitter handles, blogs, journals, and other sources?
ACRL New  Director Listserv, DLS Group Listserv, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and Inside Higher Ed.

What tools  or software application amazes you or made a huge difference in your work and why?
24/7 Ask A Librarian chat has made a big difference to our student body. We have students worldwide and the 24/7 access provides the support they need, when they need it.

Have you learned a new skill recently? If so, tell us more!
Strategic planning is not a new skill, but one that continues to grow and evolve.

Connect with Jennifer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-steinford-2396b282/
Contact Jennifer by email: Jennifer.Steinford@columbiasouthern.edu

Featured Member: Meggan Houlihan

Meggan Houlihan is Arts Librarian, Coordinator of Library Instruction and Student Programs, NYUAD Library, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.  She has been a member of CLS for 1 1/2 years.

Share your CLS experiences. Which committees have your served on? Have you ever attended a Friday Nite Feast? Tell us about CLS programs you’ve attended at ACRL or ALA.
I’ve truly enjoyed all of the CLS programs that I have attended at ALA and ACRL, and I look forward to the upcoming program at ALA 2018. I think the best part about CLS programming is the ability of the planning committees to identify critical topics in our field, select innovative presenters, and create an open discussion amongst librarians from diverse backgrounds.

Favorite author(s)? Any recent books you enjoyed?
I’m currently reading “A Column of Fire,” by Ken Follett. I’ve really enjoyed Follett’s other books, and I think this is the perfect book to kick off my maternity leave. I hope our daughter enjoys it as much as I know I will!

Most amazing library you have ever seen?
This is a really tough question. I’ve been extremely lucky to have visited some of the most beautiful and historic libraries in the world. If I had to pick one memorable library visit, I would have to say my visit to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina with my best friend from library school and fellow CLS member, Chelsea Hanrahan, was simply amazing. To see where libraries first started was pretty incredible.

How do you keep current with LIS, technology, pedagogy, and other professionally-related topics? What are your favorite journals, listservs, Twitter handles, blogs, journals, and other sources?
Call me old fashioned, but I read a lot. A lot of my colleagues tell me get on Twitter for PD purposes, but I still appreciate reading print and electronic journals when they are released. I always read College & Research Libraries, Communications in Information Literacy, Journal of Academic Librarianship, etc. I also follow the ACRL blog, which is really helpful for getting updates about what is happening in academic librarianship.

Contact Meggan by email: mah23@nyu.edu