Heather VanDyne
ALA Divisions:
Helpful, ambitious, sarcastic.
I am reading "The Rise of Magicks" by Nora Roberts.
Friendly, insightful, supportive.
As someone who is new to academic librarianship, I value the support that ACRL offers. There is a lot to learn and plenty out there who are happy to give advice and share their knowledge. I also appreciate the opportunities offered for career development through scholarships, job announcements and grants for travel to conferences.
Aside from a friendly face, I market myself as a resource for students and faculty to come to for assistance with their research. Working in a community college, many students are still learning the ropes so I do my best to help show them what the library has to offer and tools that they can use to make this new chapter in their lives a little less stressful.
Becoming an academic librarian has taught me a lot about myself as a librarian as well as what type of person I am. It has shown me that I am truly an academic because I love showing them what the library has to offer and educating them on information literacy so they can do college level research. I also appreciate the encouragement I receive to pursue my own research and grow both within the institution and the profession. The more I learn, the more I do, the better I can serve others.
Credentials:MLS
Title:Library Support Specialist
Workplace:Allen Community College
Location:Iola, KS