Let's give a warm welcome to Lauren Carter, the new College of Architecture & the Built Environment Liaison & Outreach Librarian at the Paul J. Gutman Library! Lauren will support CABE students and faculty, and is looking forward to working with those on the East Falls Campus. Check out our Q&A below to get to know Lauren.

 

What are your pronouns? 

she/they 

 

What is your job title? 

College of Architecture & the Built Environment (CABE) Liaison & Outreach Librarian 

 

What campus do you work on, and who do you support, and how do you support them? 

I work at the East Falls campus supporting the research needs of students, faculty, and researchers at the College of Architecture & the Built Environment (CABE). You may see me popping into a CABE class to teach information literacy and research skills, working on Gutman’s Materials Library, or at campus events since I oversee Gutman Library’s outreach efforts. I’m also available for one-on-one research consultation appointments! 

 

How can people contact you for help? 

You can send me an email at lauren.carter2@jefferson.edu -- I’m available for in-person or virtual appointments. 

 

What aspects of Jefferson motivated you to work here? 

I had been hoping to move to the East Coast from Phoenix for a few years now, and I was keeping an eye on job postings, and I was very excited to see this position open. Because I was a Health Sciences Librarian before accepting this position, Jefferson’s health emphasis felt familiar to my experience, but the focus on architecture is what made this a dream job for me. Looking over CABE’s website at the academic programs and the different research centers really sold me – I knew this is where I wanted to work. Luckily, it worked out! 

 

What subjects interest you within the College of Architecture and Built Environment? 

Everything really! I have a bachelor’s in sustainability, where I focused on the built environment, and I minored in landscape architecture, so the CABE programs in Sustainable Design, Urban Design – Future Cities, and, of course, Landscape Architecture really appeal to me. But really, I have an interest in aspects of every program at CABE. Some of my personal subject interests include biophilic design, public art, adaptive reuse, and environmental equity.

 

Why did you become a librarian?

I’ve always wanted a career where I could help people. During my undergrad, I worked at a library and really enjoyed helping students and faculty. As a student who really enjoyed research myself, I was drawn to how the librarians I worked with supported student research needs and taught vital information literacy skills. I started thinking maybe I’d go back to school later in life to become a librarian, perhaps as a second career (a popular path in this field). However, after graduating with my bachelor’s and taking a corporate job, I realized how much I missed working with students, so I decided to pursue librarianship sooner than I’d anticipated! 

Fun fact: A career test I took in high school ranked librarian as my #1 recommended career! 

 

Are there any resources/tools available to students that you are excited to share? 

If you haven’t already explored Gutman’s Materials Library on our main floor, it’s a pretty unique and interesting collection. We have over 2,000 samples of materials (glass, metal, wood, fabric, etc.) relevant to the maker-oriented disciplines here at East Falls available for you to browse and touch -- it’s a great place to come for inspiration for your next project! As I mentioned, I’ll be working to revamp the collection over the next year or so, so stay tuned for that. 

I also just learned that Jefferson’s New York Times subscription includes the games, so that’s a fun one also – I love Connections and the Spelling Bee. 

 

Outside of work, what do you do in your free time? 

I love to thrift, try new restaurants, go to concerts, and travel -- but honestly, most of the time I'm at home hanging out with my partner and our cat. My partner is a flameworker (a type of glass artist!) and because of that, I’ve recently been trying my hand at coldworking, specifically engraving -- I'm really inspired by glass and gem intaglios.  

 

What are your thoughts on working/living in Philadelphia? 

So, I mentioned that I have been wanting to move east of Arizona for a few years -- Philadelphia was actually my partner and I’s preferred location! It feels serendipitous how this all worked out – dream job, dream location... We’ve been here a few weeks and absolutely love it so far (even with the extreme heat!). We live near East Falls -- the abundance of greenery and nature with Wissahickon Valley Park, and the proximity to water with the Schuylkill River... it’s mind-blowing to us! You could never get any of this in Phoenix. We are also loving the walkability and access to public transit here. We’re looking forward to learning more about the city, the community, and experiencing our first real Autumn! :)