Waldo Library on a beautiful January morning

I joined Waldo Library Central Reference Department in January 2009 as a full-time faculty member. I am the liaison to the English Department and to the French and German sections for the Foreign Languages Department. I had previously worked for the Central Reference Department between 20046-2007 but took a hiatus to move to Berlin, Germany and now I am back in full swing.

Aside from working in the libraries here at Western, I have also worked as an adjunct lecturer for the French section. In my life before getting my library degree, I was on track for getting my Ph.D. in French Literature at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I quickly saw the errors of my ways, jumped ship and swam over to the Department of Information and Library Sciences and have never looked back. I have immensely enjoyed my time in the classroom, teaching French in all age ranges; middle school, high school, and at the university.

I have also been lucky to work in several different types of libraries. I have worked as an elementary school librarian in Kalamazoo, as a middle school and high school librarian in Berlin Germany, and as an online reference librarian for several public and academic libraries around the country. My true calling is to work in an academic setting. My research interests focus on the cognitive development of the college-aged students which is primarily based on research done by William Perry in the 60’s. I am interested in retooling this theory and applying it to the electronic library age. How can we adapt our online presence to better serve our patrons at different levels? One size, in my opinion does not fit all.

My three Broncos: Oliver, Eloise and Isaac -5 degrees makes for a chilly walk to work

I am not native to the upper mid-west. In fact, I have a hard time pinning down what I call home. I grew up in Massachusetts until I was 12, then it was on to Oklahoma to finish high school. I then set my sights far and traveled to France before heading to California for college. I found my way back to the University of Oklahoma for graduate school which ultimately steered me towards Madison, WI. I originally moved to Kalamazoo in 2004 and left again in 2007 for temporary stay in Germany. I am now happily settled in Kalamazoo with my three children and am proud to be a Michigander.

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