Debbie Feisst is a public services librarian at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Debbie has been a member of ACRL for eight years and is your ACRL member of the week for August 6, 2018.
Describe yourself in three words: Collaborative, engaging, energetic.
What are you reading (or listening to on your mobile device(s)? I am just finishing the 3rd book in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, Voyager. I am a little late to the Outlander party but the authentic historic plot lines combined with the fantasy of time travel have me hooked. Next up, tackle a novel in Spanish. As far as audio, I listen to podcasts and my absolute favorite is Song Exploder, which features musicians talking about the creative process behind a song.
Describe ACRL in three words: Community, informed, inclusive.
What do you value about ACRL? Moving from a public library to an academic library almost 10 years ago, ACRL provided me a hook to hang my hat on at a time when I needed a sense of community. The connections I have created with academic librarians in similar roles via my involvement with EBSS have provided me with tremendous value over these years. The ACRL conference is a perfect mix of all the things I love most about academic libraries.
What do you as an academic librarian contribute to your campus? As Subject Librarian for Secondary Education as well as the Aboriginal Teacher Education Program, I am lucky to work daily with undergraduate & graduate students as well as faculty members in the Faculty of Education. A large part of this is helping pre-service teachers as they work to become qualified teachers, providing access to resources for K-12 classrooms and supporting teaching, learning & research needs.
In your own words:We in higher education are privileged to spend our daily work lives in an environment that values curiosity, discovery and lifelong learning. I know how fortunate I am to have an employer that supports professional development but also that at any given moment, I could attend a recital/ lecture on the Mars Rover / workshop on R language for text analysis. It is energizing to be in the midst of so much potential!
Editor’s Note: Are you an ACRL member? Would you like to be featured as ACRL Member of the Week? Nominate a colleague? Contact Mary Jane Petrowski at mpetrowski@ala.org for more information.