Maura Smale is Information Literacy Librarian and Coordinator of Library Instruction at NYC College of Technology (CUNY) in Brooklyn. Maura has been an ACRL member since 2006 and is your ACRL Member of the Week.
1. Describe yourself in three words: Dedicated. Active. Learner.
2. What are you listening to on your iPod? I’m lucky to be able to walk to work each morning so I have a nice chunk of time for podcast listening. Lately I’ve been listening to ACRL podcasts (really!), most recently “Studying Students” and the interview with Henry Jenkins. I’ve got the First Monday podcasts queued up next. As a new librarian I feel like I still have so much to learn, and podcasts are a great way to fit keeping up with new trends in librarianship into my workday.
3. Describe ACRL in three words: Professional. Engaged. Forward-thinking.
4. Why did you join ACRL? During my previous graduate work in Archaeology, I gained firsthand experience of the value of professional associations. When I decided to pursue my MLIS, joining ACRL was a logical step on my path to academic librarianship.
5. What do you value about academic or research librarianship? I appreciate the public service side of academic libraries, and the opportunities that reference and instruction provide to have a positive impact on student success. I’m also interested in the possibilities and challenges of scholarship in an increasingly digital world. I look forward to the potential for lifelong learning that I’m certain a career in academic librarianship will include.
6. In your own words: The ways we create and disseminate information are changing — fast. Academic librarians play a critical role in shaping these processes and ensuring that information literate students are prepared for the future. I’m excited to be joining the profession at such an interesting time.
Editor’s Note: Are you an ACRL member? Would you like to be featured as ACRL Member of the Week? Contact David Free at dfree{at}ala{dot}org for more information.