Sharon K. Epps was recently featured in a University of Delaware article as the winner of the 2009 Johns Hopkins University Press Award.
A graduate of the University of South Florida, Sharon started her library career as an intern at the Tampa Bay Library Consortium, and was later named the Pauline A. Young Residency Librarian at the University of Delaware. While at the University of Delaware she co-taught “Library Electronic Resources and You”, and completed her Masters of Public Administration in 2004.
You can read about her experiences in as an academic resident in the essay she wrote with Erin C. Daix titled “The University of Delaware Library Residency Program: Two Former Residents’ Perspectives”, it is included in the book “Diversity in Libraries: Academic Residency Programs. Contributions in Librarianship and Information Science”, edited by Raquel. V. Cogell, and Cindy A. Gruwell.
Moving on from the University of Delaware, Sharon was appointed Head of Access Services (Librarian III) at the University of Maryland College Park in 2006, she is currently the University of Maryland Libraries Health Sciences Librarian and the 2009-2010 Chair of the Library Leadership & Management Associations Systems and Services Section.
A Small Sample of Sharon K. Epps Professional Activities:
- University of Delaware
– Pauline A. Young Resident and Affiliate Librarian 1996-1998
– Coordinator of Circulation and Access Services Department 1998-2006
- National Diversities in Libraries 2004 Presenter
– African American Women and Leadership in ARL Libraries
- Association of Research Libraries 2007-2008
– Leadership and Career Development Program Fellow
- Black Caucus of the American Library Association 2006-2008
– President
In a press release on September 10, 2009 The Johns Hopkins University Press announced Sharon K. Epps as the winner of the 2009 Johns Hopkins University Press Award for the best article.
Sharon’s article, “African American Women Leaders in Academic Research Libraries”, originally appeared in Volume 8, Number 3 of the journal portal: Libraries and the Academy.
Abstract:
Effective leadership and increasing diversity are central concerns in the library profession. Using qualitative interviewing and research methods, this study identifies the attributes, knowledge, and skills that African American women need in order to be successful leaders in today’s Association of Research Libraries (ARL). These findings indicate that, although African American women do not need different skills sets than non-minority library directors to be successful, they may need additional attributes or more of certain attributes to overcome stereotypes and successfully navigate predominantly White academic research library environments.
“African American Women Leaders in Academic Research Libraries”, by Sharon K. Epps, is available courtesy of The Johns Hopkins University Press.
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