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Role: Teaching and Learning Engagement Librarian

Institution: Ohio State University

Email: hammons.73@osu.edu

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/JaneHammons

About me: I have a dog (Kia) and two cats (Tricksy and Treat), I love Halloween, reading cozy mysteries, and watching The Golden Girls and baking shows. In addition to my work, I am currently enrolled in a PhD program in the Philosophy and History of Education.

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Role: Associate Librarian, Trinity Western University, Langley, British Columbia

Email: badke@twu.ca

Website: http://williambadke.com/badke.htm

About me: I'm an information junky, constantly seeking more input. My main enjoyments are professional: doing reference, creating research guides, teaching credit research courses, and interacting with professors.

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Role: Science & Engineering Global Services Librarian

Institution: University of Cincinnati

Email: bettenar@ucmail.uc.edu

Website: https://ajamccarthy.com/

About me: I'm an avid reader (mostly non-fiction) and I also enjoy walking, spending time with my cat (Lima Bean) and gardening (poorly). In my instruction work, I'm particularly interested in inquiry, critical thinking, and curiosity and their role in information literacy/students' approach to research. In addition to work, I'm currently working on finishing an MBA (I'm a former Business librarian).

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Headshot of Aja Bettencourt-McCarthy a white woman wearing a light blue shirt smiling at the camera

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Role: Learning Support and Liaison Librarian

Institution: University of Saskatchewan

Email: candice.dahl@usask.ca

About me: I chair my division's Instructor Support Team, and every January I teach an undergraduate internship course in academic librarianship. When I'm not at work I'm usually baking, petting my cat Nelson, or gardening (it is a short season in Saskatchewan where we're in hardiness zone 3, for all you gardeners). I also like to skate, cycle, do aquafit, and go on 'easy' hikes.

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Role: Reference and Instruction Librarian

Institution: Bowling Green State University

Email: jacktam@bgsu.edu

About me:

As a professional: I began my career as a librarian in Sept. '24 and currently work with the STEM departments.

As a person: I love to read (ofc), watch dramas and donghua, and play video games. My favorite genre is fantasy anything (especially xian xia/wu xia/xuan huan). I also have too many crafty hobbies and not enough time.

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Role: Teaching & Engagement Librarian

Institution: Ohio Wesleyan University

Email: ajtschakertfoertmeye@owu.edu

About me: I also love to read - anything and everything. I am an avid tennis player, take lots of walks with my dog, Chai, and am a budding foodie after living in the NYC metro area up until a year ago. Now, I am spending much of my free time rediscovering the food delights available in Central Ohio. Professionally, I am always eager to explore new ways of connecting with students and faculty through teaching. I work very closely with the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation at OWU, where we have been tackling how to handle the big dilemma of AI and its effects on teaching and learning in higher ed.

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Role: Public Services Librarian, Assistant Professor of Practice

Institution: The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio

email: jlc16@uakron.edu

website: www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferldavis8675309

About me:

personal I am an emerging mushroom forager and avid hag stone collector, obsessed with the entirety of the A24 catalog, The Cure, everything Halloween/Samhain (married 10/31/2018), geriatric chihuahuas-we currently have two in our crew: Daisy (aka Ms. Dee/Baby Cakes/Tiny Princess Dee) and Sherman (aka Sherminator X, Sherm the Worm, Big Baby Sherm)

professionally I am an early career academic librarian (started in this role 11/11/2024), I began my journey into librarianship after spending nearly 20 years immersed in the world of visual art education.

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Role: Campus Librarian

Institution: Central Piedmont Community College

Email: abby.rovner@cpcc.edu

About me: As a librarian of a satellite campus library I teach, staff the desk, and oversee the library and part time staff. I have worked here for 19 years and have steadily seen library influence take a back seat to student retention and completion. On a personal note, I am staff to four cats and prefer gardening and knitting over technology.

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Although this picture is a few years old, it's me at the Hot Chicken Festival in Nashville, where my husband and I lived before moving back to Ohio.

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Role: Associate Professor/Instruction Services Librarian

Institution: Bowling Green State University

email: sheetsl@bgsu.edu

About me: I recently shifted my responsibilities at BGSU to focus on for-credit courses, instructor development, and managing the strategic initiatives related to information literacy teaching. I'm loving it and am looking forward to talking to more librarians who are doing this work.

When not at work, I love watching college football and basketball with my husband (I was born and raised in Ohio but cheer for the University of Michigan), reading (and writing) romance novels, going to see live music, and hanging out with our 2 cats (Floyd and Janice).

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Role: Undergraduate Success Librarian

Institution: University of Memphis

Email: carl.hess@memphis.edu

About me: I've been a librarian in various instruction roles for a bit over a decade, and I'm coming up on my five-year anniversary at my current job. I have four cats: Bodie, Reuben, Tootsie, and Lamar. I like speculative fiction and am an off-and-on gamer. I think I'm a pretty decent cook.

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The headshot of an overweight white man with a red beard, reddish-blonde hair, and glasses. He is wearing a white dress shirt, black and purple tie, and a grey sweater vest. He is smiling. 

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Role: Reference & Instruction Librarian

Institution: University of Maine at Augusta

email: donna.maher@maine.edu

About me: After six years as R&I Librarian, I would like to shift my focus to Information Literacy and Instruction, including our community.

I have two dogs and a husband, love MLB, teaching, and music.

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Role: Associate University Librarian, Teaching and Learning

Institution: McMaster University

Email: kulah@mcmaster.ca

About me: I've spent most of my career in librarianship connected to teaching and learning in some way and love that there is always more to know, do and learn in this space. I am the mother of two and about to be an empty-nester, about which I have mixed feelings. When I'm not working, I am a keen but not particularly talented gardener and baker.

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Role: Learning and Curricular Services Coordinator

Institution: Texas A&M University

Email: mitchela@tamu.edu

About me: I enjoy lots of different types of crafting, including sewing and working with resin. I got into sewing because buying renaissance festival costumes is expensive. I also enjoy Lego, keeping my forest of houseplants alive, and playing my Nintendo Switch.

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Associate Professor and Librarian

Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, OH

Email: Meagan.Fowler@tri-c.edu

About Me: I’ve been a librarian for about 15 years, working in both academic and school settings. I wouldn’t call myself outdoorsy, but I do enjoy a good short hike and spending time in my flower beds. I live in a century home decorated with antiques I’ve collected over the years. I enjoy reading, reformer Pilates, and can often be found with a cup of strong black tea in hand. This fall, I’ll be starting an LIS PhD program at the University at Buffalo.

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Role: Director of Library Services

Institution: College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA

email: mshelton@holycross.edu

About me: I have had a long career in academic libraries. During that time, I have served in many roles: reference, instruction, collection development, systems, assessment, finance, facilities, branch libraries, and leadership. Started as a physical sciences librarian. Lots of interests in academic libraries.

When not at work, I spend time with family, read, play poker with a bunch of environmental engineers, and watch the wildlife that ventures through my yard.

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Role: Head, Educational Initiatives

Institution: University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Email: rosan.mitola@unlv.edu

About me: I've worked at UNLV Libraries for nearly 15 years in a variety of roles. I currently lead our educational role on campus, including faculty development efforts. When I'm not at work, I love to travel and attend sporting events, go Dodgers!

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Role: Research, Instruction, and Outreach Librarian

Institution: SUNY Oswego

Email: nicole.westerdahl@oswego.edu

Fun fact: I've recently picked up the violin again and am re-learning how to play after a decade away from it.

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Role: Assistant Program Director for Instruction and Outreach Services

Institution: University of California San Diego

Email: Lmm002@ucsd.edu

About me: I've worked as a librarian for over 15 years in institutions across the Western United States. My roles have always been in public services but the instruction focus started with this role about four years ago. We're about to re-organize so stay tuned for a new job title. In my personal life, I have a toddler and am expecting another child in the Fall. Besides spending time with these important humans and my spouse, I also love to hike in the mountains, go to the beach, and learn about being a homeowner. I'm a tea lover, a traveler, and as happy when shopping or at a museum as when camping.

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Role: Director of Teaching and Learning

Institution: University of California, Riverside

Email: brittanf@ucr.edu

About me: I've been with UCR for 2.5 years in my current role, and was at Fresno State as a public services librarian with a focus in agricultural and food sciences for 12 years before that. When I'm not at work, I'm probably at one of my son's soccer games, or munching radishes from my garden!

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Role: Full Librarian, Curriculum & Pedagogy and Liaison Program Lead

Institution: University of Arizona

Email: nfp@arizona.edu

About me: I've been at the U of A for 14 years and before that briefly worked at a community college. I'm currently a PhD candidate and also have taught our info lit course LIS 581 since 2015. When I do have time for non-work/PhD/adjuncting things, my husband and I hang with our 2 cats; I run, bike, hike; and have delved into various fiber crafts. I listen to music often and am a former college radio DJ. Currently reading Children of Time, and it's a pretty sick sci-fi with intelligent spiders.

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Role: Information Literacy Librarian and Instruction Coordinator

Institution: Penn State University

Email: behler@psu.edu

About me: Gardener, Knitter, Swim and band mom, dachshund mom, editor, and 20-year librarian. I'm motivated by supporting students and doing what makes sense to support them, even if it means breaking stuff to do so. I also love serving as a mentor to other librarians doing information literacy work and started our library's instruction COP. I'm also currently the managing editor and copyeditor for portal: Libraries and the Academy.

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Role: Lead Librarian, Information Literacy and Instruction

Institution: Chattanooga State Community College, Chattanooga, TN

Email: sara.coffman@chattanoogastate.edu

About me: I took this newly-created role in September 2024 after years in school and public libraries -- a pivot that came after years as an English professor. Already, my team is making significant strides in both faculty relationships and the development of instructional tools, but I hope to grow those early successes through this community. I'm active in ALA, currently serving on a few committees and proud to have been named an Emerging Leader this year. I am also a writer and reviewer, publishing as Sara Beth West. You can find me at sarabethwest.com and on my Substack: Everything is Information.

On the personal side, my partner and I love to travel and are about to embark on an entirely different kind of adventure: a total renovation. I have two college-aged kids, two aging dogs, and one cat (when he's home from college). Besides books, I love games, puzzles, music, hiking, SUP, and the outdoors.

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Role: Library Instruction and Information Literacy Coordinator

Institution: University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown campus

Email: dmk24@pitt.edu

About me: Because of a recent staff reduction, my position will be changing in AY26. New title pending! Being at a regional campus, I wear many hats including being a liaison librarian, which includes our English Composition program. I've led an effort over the past 2 years to create a non-credit bearing asynchronous course in our LMS to provide flipped learning/instruction on the research cycle. Outside of work, I assist my wife in cat rescue. We currently take care of 11 indoor cats and one outdoor/semi-feral cat. When the cats allow, I enjoy gardening, hiking, and cooking.

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Role: Information Literacy Librarian for Humanities/Faculty Fellow for Strategic Initiatives

Institution: Appalachian State University

Email: crumptonbe@appstate.edu

About me: I have been an instruction librarian for over 8 years. I am also currently a Faculty Fellow at my library and aiding with strategic initiatives including getting student and faculty feedback. I have two cats (Zelda and Noctis) and enjoy video games. I would puzzle more if I could, but my cats like to lay across the pieces and knock them off the table.

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Assistant Professor and Undergraduate Engagement Librarian, University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, NM. Email: adriennew@unm.edu. About me: I've been a librarian for about 20 years in both public and academic libraries. I enjoy bird watching, hiking

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Role: Adult Reference Librarian in charge of Instruction

Institution: Lone Star College CyFair/HCPL

Email: elizabeth.d.nebeker@lonestar.edu

About me: I am a lifelong learner and educator. I worked in K-12 education for over 20 years before transferring to my current library which is a joint use academic/public library. I love reading, playing pinball, and playing tabletop board games. I have 2 adult daughters, 2 dogs, and 1 cat.

I am a firm believer in building relationships to make my job and my life easier. I have a goal to make at least 1 person smile every day!

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Role: Arts and Architecture Librarian for Graduate & Faculty Engagement, Associate Professor, University of New Mexico

Email: sbeene@unm.edu

Website: https://ulls.unm.edu/people/directory/b/beene-stephanie.php

About me: I work with the College of Fine Arts and the School of Architecture & Planning at the University of New Mexico (UNM) in Albuquerque within the newly formed Graduate & Faculty Engagement unit of the Learning & Research Engagement Team. Previous to librarianship, I have worked as an educator within museums, K-12, and higher education, in addition to work within archives and visual resources. My research interests include information and visual literacy frameworks as they relate to notions of trust, the scholarship of teaching and learning within a librarianship context, and the shifting information practices among creative practitioners. I earned an MS in Information Studies from the University of Texas at Austin, an MA in Art History from the University of California, Riverside, and a BA in Art and Art History from Colorado State University. I enjoy hiking and yoga, cats and dogs, and have a 14-month-old son.

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Role: Instruction Coordinator & Research Librarian

Institution: Central Washington University

Email: elizabeth.brown@cwu.edu

About me: I coordinate our undergraduate certificate in LIS and oversee our IL instruction program for the libraries. I'm interested in faculty development as a way to build capacity around sharing IL concepts. I love gardening and cooking with stuff from the garden. I started teaching myself guitar a few years ago after a hiatus from playing cello for 10 years, and it's going very slowly.

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Role: Research & Instruction Librarian

Institution: Antioch University

Email: hcornetto@antioch.edu

About Me: In addition to working as an academic librarian, I'm also a writer and creative writing instructor. I primarily write in the horror genre. I am currently enrolled in an EdD program for Instructional Design.

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Role: Director of Library Instruction

Institution: Hudson County Community College

Email: bduffy@hccc.edu

About me: I'm in my first year working at a community college and really enjoying it but have been an academic librarian for going on 13 years. I'm supervising our team of reference and instruction librarians (which also includes our liaison and collection development work). I'm figuring out what library instruction looks like here and how it can grow and change. I like to write and publish as a way of connecting my thought process, the new information and ideas I encounter from other librarians, and the work I'm doing. Personal stuff: I'm big into being outside and gardening. I still feel pretty novice at growing stuff even several years in. I run a little virtual group for creatives to get together biweekly and work on stuff while chatting. I'm a toddler parent and also expecting my second child. Let me know what podcasts you're listening to or books you're into as I have a little bit of a commute so I'm always looking for audio content!

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Role: Assistant Director for Operations and Planning/Associate Professor

Institution: Tennessee State University

Email: ejohn106@tnstate.edu

About me: Before becoming a library administrator, I was a history professor at three universities for over a decade.

I serve as the library liaison for the College of Agriculture.

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Role: Assistant Director of Academic Engagement

Institution: University of Georgia

Email: sarah.morris1@uga.edu

Website: https://www.sarahmorrisconsulting.com/

About me: I've been at my current institution for less than a year, but have been a librarian for 12 years. Before that I worked in museum education and wrangled 7-10 year olds in after-school programs and camps. I'm not sure if my undergrad and grad students are an easier or tougher crowd! In my current role I coordinate our library instruction program and manage a team of 5 librarians. I also do curriculum development and educational consulting projects and have had the chance to partner with some great places, including The Carter Center in Atlanta. Outside of work I love hiking and gardening. I binge a lot of British mystery shows and have a developed a newfound love of audio books (recommendations welcome!). And I love to travel when I have the opportunity.