I am the new Art and Architecture Librarian at the Architecture and Allied Arts Library. I will primarily support Art, History of Art and Architecture, Arts and Administration, Product Design, and Digital Arts. My library science degree is from the University of Michigan, which I attended after completing a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from Reed College in Portland, OR. Prior to that I worked in art museums, most recently in the education department at the Portland Art Museum. Professional projects have ranged from exhibitions, to realia and non-book items in libraries, to cataloging, to user-focused assessment of library spaces. Overall, the focus of my projects tends to be connecting patrons with resources and spaces in the ways that are most meaningful to them, and pushing on what libraries are, and more importantly, what they can be. There is a lot of really amazing stuff in libraries, and tons of potential for collaboration with people both inside and outside of the library. I want to find opportunities to make sure these connections are being made.

One resource that I would like to point out to students is the relatively new Library Research Guide system implemented by University of Oregon Libraries. This is a GREAT way to get started figuring out how to find the resources you need from the library, which can be a pretty overwhelming task considering how many things you have access to here. Conveniently, librarians have broken down relevant content by subject, allowing you to find what is most relevant to your particular project. Additionally, they contain the contact information for your subject librarian, so you can find more support that way!

Another thing everyone should take advantage of is the Eugene Public Library. I think that with a great university library, we sometimes forget to pay attention to what is going on at our local library, but EPL has a lot and is definitely worth checking out. It’s really easy to get a library card, just bring your picture ID and proof of a local address (a piece of mail works). They provide access to really great collections (I haven’t tried it yet, but apparently their DVD collection is world-class). Also, if you get a library card you can access their electronic tools from anywhere! One I think is especially useful is called Lynda.com. I recommend this to anyone who is trying to learn a new technology-related skill or brush up on an old one. EPL also has a number of other e-resources that would normally cost money, but are free with a library card.

Additionally, here are some of my favorite places on the web…mostly for stress relief. The New York Public Library just released 180K+ digitized public domain images, and I can spend hours searching random terms. Another interesting image database is the LIFE Photo Archive. Jacobs Pillow Interactive has clips of dance performances organized by era, which are really fun to watch. UbuWeb Dance is another dance site that has a number of enjoyable performances

Interested in being NMCC’s next Prof Pick? Email us!