Amy F. Fyn
Approachable, thoughtful, relevant.
I’m savoring about a half-dozen titles (mostly Emily Henry ones) that I haven’t committed to finishing the last few chapters of, and I’m also listening to The Women by Kristin Hannah on Libby and reading Sarah J. Maas's backlist to balance out professional reading.
Community, opportunity, support.
The avenues that ACRL provides for learning, service, and participation in advancing scholarship have been integral to my career. ACRL holds a different meaning to me as a mid-career librarian than it did when I started out; it’s versatile and large enough to find something appealing to most within state chapters or at the national level. I value the professional relationships developed through impactful experiences such as chairing the IS Information Literacy Best Practices committee during a document revision. More recently, I served on the ACRL 2025 Conference Committee and had the pleasure of promoting some of the interesting, challenging, and thought-provoking work our colleagues are doing in libraries and on campuses.
On campus, I am an advocate for advancing information literacy skills through my work within the library and on faculty committees. Though convincing disciplinary faculty that IL is for everyone–and that IL belongs to everyone–can be challenging, strengthening these skills benefits our students and community.
In the past few years, I’ve often reflected on the non-academic support that I can offer to our students. I close research appointments by asking one or two open-ended questions, such as what their next steps are for their project, or what else they are planning to do that day. Hearing their responsibilities, challenges, and expectations is often humbling. Sometimes I help them make a plan to take a study break, get some air, or a bite to eat before they dive back into their research. Being authentic about my own struggles with prioritizing healthy behaviors has made far richer connections with students. I want students to know I see their whole selves, and that the library welcomes them wherever they are on their educational path.
Pronouns:she/her
Credentials:MA, MLIS
Title:Business Librarian
Workplace:Eastern Michigan University
Location:Ypsilanti, MI