Lauren Zollinger Faculty Spotlight

G. Kim Dority, M.L.I.S. – Faculty Spotlight

Tell us a little bit about your professional background and areas of focus.

Okay, I’m going to take a bit of a shortcut here and do what we tell our students never to do, i.e., self-plagiarize! But this is a good description of my background and areas of focus from my DorityAssociates.com website:

I’m an information professional whose somewhat eclectic career has included research, writing, editing, online content development, and LIS career advising, among other activities. In fact, I love what an adventure my LIS career has been! Since receiving my MLIS in the ‘80s, I’ve used my LIS skills to:

• conceptualize and create the first virtual academic library, working with a team of amazing academic librarians and LIS subject specialists

• create an information center literally “from the ground up” for a major industry association

• license and/or create the content for the first website devoted to helping people with disabilities live their fullest lives

• work with recognized thought leaders in the positive psychology field to create content for the first website devoted to mental health and well-being resources

• create and teach the first course on alternative LIS careers

I love my career today, but I can easily remember many moments when, despite my MLIS and my diverse set of skills, I was unsure of what professional path to pursue or next step to take. That’s why my most rewarding work has been the opportunities I’ve had as an LIS careers expert to help individual students, alumni, new professionals, mid-career practitioners, and others achieve their best LIS careers.

As a part of that commitment, I’ve written over 400 articles and two books on information careers, including LIS Career Sourcebook (Libraries Unlimited, 2012) and Rethinking Information Work, 2d ed. (Libraries Unlimited, 2016).

In 2016, I chaired SLA’s Students and New Professionals Advisory Council, working with graduate program student groups, their boards, and faculty advisors to help create a high-value, sustainable relationship between these passionate, hard-working volunteers and SLA. In addition, I founded and manage the LinkedIn LIS Career Options group, with over 14,000 members from 80 countries. I continue to be amazed and gratified by members’ willingness to share knowledge and insights with each other. In 2017, I was honored to receive SLA’s Rose L. Vormelker award (the Rosie) in recognition of my work “actively teaching and/or mentoring students or working professionals.”

Over the past twenty years, I’ve worked with numerous graduate programs and professional associations to help them create outstanding career content, resources, and programs tailored to the needs of their specific constituencies, whether students, alumni, and potential student recruits or existing/new/potential association members. Throughout my career, I’ve tried to live by this simple commitment:

Be kind, do awesome work, and have fun!

Describe recent projects or research that you’ve been working on.

I’m currently working on two basic research projects. 

The first is assembling a guide to what student/new professional programs, resources, and benefits LIS associations offer to students.

The second is gathering information to create an overview of all of the government job opportunities that exist for those with LIS skills, including types of agencies, level of government (e.g., state, federal, regional, etc.), job responsibilities/requirements, and job titles.

What is your favorite part of teaching?

Connecting with students and their goals and circumstances. Every student is different, and having an opportunity to get to know those differences and to be able to respond supportively (and, hopefully, knowledgeably!) to support them is simply incredibly rewarding. Plus, students are smart and know tons of stuff I don’t, so I’m always learning and laughing a lot!

Do you have a favorite teaching moment?

At the beginning of each course, students provide a brief bio or background statement about who they are. I put together a document that captures all those bios, so that when I’m reading a journal entry, discussion post, or assignment, I can put those into the context of who that person is, what they may or may not have experienced yet, what their dreams and goals and assumptions are. So my favorite teaching moment is when I can see and respond to that individual student, rather than just evaluating their work against a deliverable metric.

How have your professional experiences influenced your teaching?

When I graduated with my MLIS, I had no idea what sort of career I should pursue. I was extremely fortunate to be recommended to my first post-grad employer, an LIS publishing company (Libraries Unlimited), by my program’s administration. But I never forgot that moment of panic when I realized what I was good at – research and writing – but had no clue how to connect that to a job, let alone a career path. I learned through trial and error to build strong relationships with my colleagues, to seek out new opportunities, to be curious and, most importantly, to aim for being fearless rather than perfect. The end result has been a career that I’ve loved every day, and, I hope, one where the opportunities I’ve been given or created have had positive results for those around me. 

When possible, I try to share that same approach with my students, especially those who are perfectionists!

What issues related to information interest you most?

• How to create a true community information system, mapping out all the information resources in a given community, and then have the library be the beating heart and connecting hub of that CIS.

• How many ways LIS professionals can deploy their information skills, and how to present this information with the multitude of variables involved so students can easily visualize and understand career path relationships and interconnectedness.

• LIS career pivots – how librarians and other information professionals can create highly adaptable careers that position them to fairly easily pivot and bridge into a new information role should they want or need to do so.

Are there any websites, apps, podcasts or other resources you’d recommend students explore?

I’m a firm believer in reading outside the profession because I think it helps us have a more expansive context within which to consider LIS issues (and possible solutions). So one of the things I’ve done for years is a monthly “magazine cruise” through all of the magazines at our local independent bookstore (shout out to Tattered Cover!). 

I’ll check out the Tables of Contents for all of the magazines that are discipline-specific, such as history, art, foreign policy, science, technology, business, politics, etc. What I’m looking for is a trend, statistic, quote, idea, innovation, etc. that can be adapted to thinking about LIS work. For example, I first came across the wonderful discipline of “design thinking” in the Stanford Review, and I’ve found great ideas in Scientific American and the MIT Technology Review (keep in mind that I was a comparative literature major undergrad, so I occasionally struggle a bit here….)

In terms of e-newsletters, I cruise through things like The Aspen Institute’s Five Best Ideas of the Day, The Conversation, Futurity.org, The Scout Report, and the discussion groups for ALA, SLA, and AIIP, all of which I’m a member of. 

Currently reading Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by Epstein (Riverhead, 2019), Designing Your Life by Burnett and Evans (Knopf, 2016), and The Creative Habit (Simon & Schuster, 2006) by choreographer Twyla Tharp.

If you had one superpower:

To remember everything I’ve read! 🙂

How do you like to spend time outside of work?

Playing in Colorado, coming up with cool information projects to pursue, watching baseball (even though the Rockies are pretty awful), attending classical music concerts, practicing on my drums, and bodysurfing when I can get to California.

Do you have any advice for students?

Don’t focus on your GPA too much in grad school; instead, explore as much as you can, build as many lasting friendships and relationships as possible, and do as many informational interviews as possible while people are still willing to talk to you (i.e., while you’re a student!). 

Vet your assumptions about what certain career paths are like, and let yourself change your mind and your direction. Plus, remember that your first job is ONLY your first job, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself to have it be the perfect job. It’s meant to launch your LIS career, not define it.

What class(es) are you teaching this semester for Kent’s iSchool?

60040 Information Institutions and Professions (2 sections!)

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

I’ve absolutely loved the work I’ve done with my information skills over the past 30 years, and although I’ve been laid off 3 times, I’ve always ended up being asked to take on a new project almost immediately. That’s not because I’m particularly brilliant but rather because I know that information is a strategic asset and I’ve developed the confidence to treat it as such, plus the professional relationships that continually open doors. Also, I’ve found that my LIS skills are infinitely adaptable….

So basically, I think you’re getting the coolest degree anyone can get, and if I had to make the choice between this degree and any other one, I’d choose LIS skills every time.

Lauren Zollinger Faculty Spotlight

Meghan Harper, Ph.D. – Faculty Spotlight

Tell us a little bit about your professional background and areas of focus.

I have been at Kent State since 2001. I was recruited to come to Kent State to be the coordinator of the K-12 school library program. All of my degrees are from Kent State University, I have a background in education and received a Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education in 1990 with licensure in K-8 elementary education, a Masters of Library Science in 1991 with K-12 licensure in school library media and a Doctoral degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on instructional technology in 2003. I began my career as a school librarian in Cleveland City Schools and went on to be a middle school librarian, high school librarian, technology coordinator and entered K-12 administration as an Assistant Curriculum Director, Director of Technology and Library Media Services in two other local school districts before coming to Kent State.

Describe recent projects or research that you’ve been working on.

My research has centered on trauma-informed service in libraries and how libraries are responding to the opiate crisis and the ethic of care. I have been conducting many presentations on aspects of providing trauma-informed service and how libraries can help build resilience in their communities.

What is your favorite part of teaching?

My favorite part of teaching is getting to know the students.

Do you have a favorite teaching moment?

My favorite teaching moments are when students respond in journals and share how they are applying course content to their personal and professional lives.

How have your professional experiences influenced your teaching?

I incorporate many ideas for the application of best practices in the field because I have much engagement with professionals in my field and real-world experience in regard to the concepts I am teaching.

What issues related to information interest you most?

How information changes lives and how information professionals can be mediators and connectors of information and individuals.

Are there any websites, apps, podcasts or other resources you’d recommend students explore?

MindTools: Time Management

GoodColleges: 21 Study Tips for Online Classes Success

Northeastern University: 7 tips for Networking in an Online Degree Program

Communication Coach Alex Lyon: Communicate with Empathy

If you had one superpower:

I wish I had super speed. There are so many things I am interested in and would like to do and see and there never seems to be enough time.

How do you like to spend time outside of work?

I like to spend time with my family, my husband, 3 children and 6 rescue pets (3 dogs and 3 cats). I enjoy hiking, gardening, and attending martial arts classes with my children. I have a 3rd degree black belt in tae kwon do and a black belt in Muay Thai. 

Do you have any advice for students?

I would encourage students to get organized with their school work and plan out their time wisely to be successful academically. Make connections with their classmates and professors, reach out, be involved, and active participants in their courses not passive consumers of course content. Students will get more out of their courses and enjoy their time in their graduate programs more if they have personal connections with other students and faculty.

What class(es) are you teaching next semester for Kent’s iSchool?

I am not teaching this semester as I am now in the position of Interim Director of the iSchool (as of July 1). 

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

I am looking forward to working with GSAC this year. I also want students to know I have an open-door policy and am interested in helping all students be successful in their programs of study.

Lauren Zollinger Alumni Spotlight, Faculty Spotlight

Catherine Hakala-Ausperk – Alumni/Faculty Spotlight

Catherine Hakala-Ausperk

iSchool Graduation Date

1991

Professional Organizations/Affiliations

ALA, PLA

Current responsibilities/How are you using your information skills?

After 32 years working in Ohio’s public libraries as everything from a Circulation Clerk to Regional Executive Director, I’m currently the owner of my own firm, Libraries Thrive Consulting (librariesthrive.com). I also teach for several institutions, from Kent’s iSchool to ALA, PLA, and InfoPeople. Additionally, I teach several of the courses offered through ALA’s Certified Public Library Administrator program. I am also a CPLA. I travel the country presenting, keynoting and facilitating all kinds of training, most often centered around my seven leadership books. These include Be a Great Boss: One Year to Success (ALA, 2011); Build a Great Team: One Year to Success (ALA, 2013); Renew Yourself: A Six-Step Plan for More Meaningful Work (ALA, 2017); and a unique series of “Leadership Planners,” including Future-Proof Your Team; Win ‘Em Over; Dynamic Discipline, and Hot Ticket Meetings. I’m also the editor of the “By the Book” column in Public Libraries Magazine.

What is the best professional advice you can give?

Lead. Today’s (and tomorrow’s) libraries need sharp, creative, and innovative leadership more than money. More than anything. Develop ALL your leadership skills and then, from any position, put them to use to move libraries forward.

How do you encourage innovative ideas?

The best way to encourage innovation is to never show fear. Try anything and everything! Let your team know their ideas are more than just welcome – they’re worth doing. Admit when something doesn’t work, fix it, and try again.

Do you have a mentor? How have they influenced you?

I was blessed with many mentors, some modeling good practices and some just the opposite. Both were invaluable in my career. I was most influenced by those who weren’t afraid to show – every day – how passionate they were about libraries and library services. Their energy was motivational and instructive. Their libraries were cutting edge!

What do you wish you had done earlier or more often?

I wish I’d started teaching, writing, and speaking earlier and I still wish I could do it more often. It took me way too long to realize not everyone was as lucky as I was to have such great role models and teachers. So many librarians struggle with little or no training. So many of us could be helping them. 

How and where do you find inspiration?

I’m most inspired by libraries that are truly serving their communities. I love reading about the library that opened a branch in a nearby laundromat. I love seeing library staff out in the community, joining groups and listening for real needs. I love learning of libraries that, in a weather emergency, stay open to provide warmth and shelter. I am inspired by leaders who realize that libraries must be open and willing to offer whatever services can surprise and amaze their communities the most!

To what values are you committed?

Respect, professionalism, honesty, and fairness.

How do you balance your work and home life?

I had a boss once who left the library everyday exactly when his shift was over. By showing us how important his family was to him, he assured us we could do the same.  

What are some challenges that today’s information professionals will face? And tomorrow’s?

I know I sound like a broken record but…leadership, leadership, leadership. I truly believe that we now need innovative, creative, and courageous leaders more than ever in libraries. If we don’t have people to bring us into this new century effectively, our competition for time and money will win and we’ll be lost. I’m sorry to say the worst and most damaging response to meeting this challenge is happening all too often – libraries are cutting training budgets just when they need them the most! If your library won’t spend time or money to help you build leadership skills – build them yourself, on your own time and with your own money!

How can the library remain important to the community?

Get into it. Get out from behind the desk or in the office and learn what really matters to your residents. Then, have leadership in place that can get past “we’ve always done it that way” and “that’s not our role” to a new era of service and relevance. In the 1800s, nobody needed a passport but, today….

What websites, apps, podcasts, or other resources would you recommend to explore?

I read everything I can find about public libraries, mostly through news feeds that now know me well.

What is a book you like that you have to defend liking and what is a book you dislike that you have to defend disliking?

Since the ‘70s, I’ve defended Erica Jong’s Fear of Flying. To me, contrary to its reputation as smut, it is an inspirational statement of women’s strength and independence. I haven’t met a book yet that I dislike. Opinions, maybe. But a book? Nope.

Special thanks to the Kent State University iSchool Alumni Network for coordinating these profiles. Learn more about the Alumni Network on their Facebook page and group. Students are welcome to join and participate.

Lauren Zollinger Faculty Spotlight

Belinda Boon, Ph.D. – Faculty Spotlight

Tell us a little bit about your professional background and areas of focus.

I’ve worked in the LIS field for 32 years now–that’s hard to believe! My first professional library job was as a Children’s Librarian in the Harris Co. Public Library in Houston. In the early 90s I was the director of a small community library in a town just east of Austin, and in 1993 I landed my “dream job” as a Continuing Education Consultant with the Texas State Library & Archives Commission. I was at TSLAC for 10 years, and served as the Manager of Continuing Education & Consulting for the last two. I earned my doctorate in 2006 and was offered a position as Assistant Professor at the Kent State Columbus program with a focus in Children’s Services. This became my new “dream job”! In 2015 I moved to the Kent campus. My areas of expertise and teaching are public libraries, collection management, reference services and children’s services.

Describe recent projects or research that you’ve been working on.

Over the past few months I’ve been building an online course for undergraduates called “Information Fluency in the Workplace & Beyond”. I taught the course face-to-face for the first time in fall 2019 and really enjoyed working with undergraduate students. Translating it into the online environment has been a challenge but it’s also been very gratifying.

What is your favorite part of teaching?

I’ve always wanted to make a difference in my work and teaching has been the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done! I love getting to know students and helping them achieve their professional goals. 

Do you have a favorite teaching moment?

This is kind of like asking what my favorite book is! (The answer is of course, whatever I’m reading at the time. : ) My favorite teaching moment is always getting feedback from students about what they learned and how they’ll use this knowledge in their work. It makes my instructor’s heart soar to know my teaching has a positive impact on their life and work!

How have your professional experiences influenced your teaching?

Even though I haven’t worked in a library for almost 30 years, I still think of myself as a librarian. Over the years I’ve also tried to stay active in professional organizations, especially at the state level, and read widely to keep up with what’s happening in the field. My library work experiences still inform my teaching but I’m always learning something new and try to incorporate this into my classes.

What issues related to information interest you most?

The ability of librarians to change lives and empower people from all walks of life is the core of what I believe and teach. Librarianship is about service, and libraries have a powerful role to play in ensuring social justice through their programs, collections and services. But we also have a responsibility to become aware of how our organizations have participated in and sustained institutional racism over the years, and take steps to change the status quo. This is an important period for our society, and libraries are more essential than ever in ensuring everyone has free and equitable access to information.

Are there any websites, apps, podcasts or other resources you’d recommend students explore?

There are dozens! WebJunction (https://www.webjunction.org) is the first that leaps to mind. The free webinars listed in the Course Catalog and the professional tools in the Topic Areas section are fantastic resources. Also, visiting your professional association’s (ALA, PLA, MLA, ALSC, etc.) website and social media platforms, like Facebook and Twitter, is a great way to keep abreast of trends in the field.

If you had one superpower:

I feel like I already do! The power of the spoken and written word is tremendous and far-reaching, especially in teaching. My constant goal is to always use this power to make a positive difference in the world.

How do you like to spend time outside of work?

Is this a trick question? : ) Work and life are so intertwined it’s hard to separate the two! Even when I’m browsing social media I’m constantly encountering articles and professional tools to share with my classes. Of course I LOVE reading, but I also enjoy just being outside in nature. There is so much beauty all around us and every day is a blessing. I try to spend time every day noticing and being thankful for it.

Do you have any advice for students?

Stay connected with others in your field and NEVER stop learning. Also, join your state professional association and participate in continuing education opportunities (like webinars) whenever possible. Read widely and stay in touch with the folks you went to school with through social media. And be sure to practice self-care at all times. Working with the public is demanding and stressful so make sure to nurture yourself. And above all, follow your bliss–engage in work that makes you feel happy and useful because our joy feeds the soul of the world.

What class(es) are you teaching next semester for Kent’s iSchool?

I usually teach four different classes and over 100 students every semester. (This is why I don’t always know what you’re asking about when you email me. : ) In fall 2020, I’ll be teaching Information Fluency for undergrads, along with The Public Library (LIS 60608), Information Sources & Reference Services (LIS 60601) and the Master’s Portfolio course (LIS 60280).

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Yes! I’d like to take this opportunity to rave about the fantastic students we have in the Kent State MLIS program. I’m so in awe of your dedication and enthusiasm, and the knowledge and experience you bring to the table. It’s a privilege to learn from all of you!

Lauren Zollinger Faculty Spotlight

Timothy J. Dickey, Ph.D. – Faculty Spotlight

Tell us a little bit about your professional background and areas of focus.

It has been pretty varied! I have worked at both public libraries (Columbus, Westerville) and academic libraries (Amherst College, Gordon-Conwell Seminary, University of Connecticut), as well as in the Office of Research for OCLC. My research and teaching interests have included cataloging theory, emerging library technologies, virtual reference services, the history of the book (especially Renaissance and Early Modern), as well as music and art history.

Describe recent projects or research that you’ve been working on.

My recent book is the first complete handbook on library services for persons with dementia and their caregivers, from communication and public service to collection development, reference, and programming. Before that, I was completing a project on musical and liturgical inscriptions in early Sienese paintings.

What is your favorite part of teaching?

My favorite part is whenever I can see a student apply the course materials to their particular professional situation (especially if it helps them get a job or a promotion!!). It isn’t just about the course readings, it is about applying that professional knowledge to professional service and to helping others.

Do you have a favorite teaching moment?

One time when I was teaching a course on Emerging Library Technology, a student came to me in the first week and asked if he could immediately change all of his written assignments for the course to fit the application for his dream job which had just been posted. We quickly agreed on a plan, and he emailed in the last week of classes to say he got the job…

How have your professional experiences influenced your teaching?

Active membership in, and service to, professional societies (ALA, ASIS&T, ALISE, PLA, LITA, etc.) has been one of the most important venues for meeting colleagues across the span of the profession, both for gaining breadth in my teaching, and also for improving my service every day as a librarian.

Do you have any advice for students?

Join your professional organizations (especially as student rates are so much better)!

What issues related to information interest you most?

My abiding interest across the courses I teach is to see the application of the best research as evidence for decision-making. We are information professionals, and we need to be immersed in the best evidence-based and peer-reviewed research into LIS user needs analysis, and technology, and research methodologies, and cataloging theory, but that immersion needs to be applied to our life as practitioners.

How do you like to spend time outside of work?

Cooking yummy, healthy, and new things for my family is my therapy, and my creative time to end the day.

What class(es) are you teaching this semester/next semester for Kent’s iSchool?

Research Methods, and possibly Music Librarianship.