Jamia Williams is a librarian and diversity fellow at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York. Jamia has been a member of ACRL for 2 years and is your ACRL member of the week for April 29, 2019.
Describe yourself in three words: Smart, funny, loyal.
What are you reading (or listening to on your mobile device(s)? I am reading Becoming by Michelle Obama, Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race by Beverly Daniel Tatum, Pushing the Margins: Women of Color and Intersectionality in LIS edited by Rose L. Chou and Annie Pho, and Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah.
Describe ACRL in three words: Community, knowledge, motivation.
What do you value about ACRL? ACRL has provided me with a network of librarians that I can learn from and most importantly collaborate with. Also, I am a member of the Residency Interest Group programs and proposals team. This opportunity has connected me with Diversity Residents and Diversity Fellows. ACRL has provided me with great resources on information literacy. As a visual learner, I appreciate that webinars are available on a variety of topics important to academic librarians.
What do you as an academic librarian contribute to your campus? I think the creation then the implementation of my diversity fellowship is a contribution to our campus. It shows that bringing in an early career professional that supports diversity is important to our library and it is important to our university. Furthermore, my different perspectives on how we can better support our university and library are my contribution.
In your own words: This is my dream come true and I am glad to finally be apart of a profession that has so many dynamic people in it. My draw to this profession was the ability to help others on various levels. I get to assist my colleagues, students, staff, and faculty on a daily basis. The feeling that I get from aiding in someone’s success is pure joy. I like being an academic librarian because I get to assist others with their research endeavors. Also, I am proud that I do not look like the typical academic librarian and that I am more of a reflection of the community that we serve.
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.