Tammi Owens is Emerging Services and Liaison Librarian at Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota. Tammi has been an ACRL member since 2011 and is your ACRL member of the week for October 28, 2013.
1. Describe yourself in three words: Relationship-builder, communicator, storyteller.
2. What are you reading right now (or listening to on your mobile device)? I always have a handful of books in process at any one time, and I switch between them depending on place and mood. I read differently on devices than I do in print, so my Kindle account is stocked with genre fiction while my physical TBR pile contains mostly literary fiction and nonfiction. Currently, I’m reading A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin on my iPad, and Mashup Cultures by Stefan Sonvilla-Weiss (ed.) and The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean in print. I have never studied chemistry, so I appreciate Kean’s engaging explanations of the elements.
3. Describe ACRL in three words: Collegial, inspirational, educational.
4. What do you value about ACRL? ACRL is a community of people working hard to get things done at their academic libraries. Even better, ACRL is a community of thinkers willing to share their experiences to make academic libraries vibrant places to visit. As a newer librarian, I value this shared wisdom and appreciate the opportunity to join the discussion.
5. What do you, as an academic librarian, contribute to your campus? I am a facilitator and communicator linking the library with other tech-oriented parts of the university, and generally extending the library’s reach using technology. I also research information flow, curation, and management, especially as it pertains to the undergraduate students at our university who participate in our Digital Life & Learning program.
6. In your own words: I love being a librarian. Being a faculty librarian means I’m able to engage with students and colleagues at many levels, and that is very fulfilling. Helping students replace information anxiety and overload with mastery and competence is why I come to work every day.
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.