(via ACRL)
Melissa Wong, Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s School of Information Sciences and Editor in Chief of Library Trends, is the ACRL Member of the Week for September 29 – October 5. Below, she shares her thoughts on how she has benefited from membership in ACRL and what her most significant contributions to the UIUC iSchool community have been.
What do you value about ACRL?
ACRL connects me to colleagues in libraries across the country. Whether we are serving together on a committee, attending a webinar, or grabbing coffee at a conference, connecting with colleagues energizes and sustains me. For the past three years I’ve served on two groups – the Awards Implementation Task Force and the Awards Coordinating Committee – responsible for revamping ACRL’s awards program to make it more transparent and equitable. I’m excited to see the awards program relaunch this fall! Another aspect of ACRL that I value is its resources for professional development. ACRL’s publications, webinars, and events help me stay on top of developments in the field, particularly for topics outside my normal areas of expertise.
What do you as an academic librarian contribute to your campus?
As an adjunct instructor in the iSchool, I teach courses in instruction, eLearning and reference, and help graduate students prepare for careers in many types of libraries, including academic libraries. I try to equip our graduates with the knowledge and skills they need for their careers, while also modeling reflective practice and empathetic approaches to users. My courses have a heavy emphasis on accessibility and I am proud to give my students practical skills to create more inclusive library services. I also try to be available to current and former students for mentoring. My spring calendar was full of one-on-one meetings with students to talk about job searching and preparing for academic interviews. In addition to my teaching, I am in the middle of a three year appointment as Editor in Chief of Library Trends, a scholarly journal published by the iSchool. We work with guest editors to publish thematic issues on important topics in LIS. It has been a great learning experience and reinforced how much I love supporting others in the writing and publishing process.
To read the full interview, please go here. Congratulations!