We're happy to introduce you to another new face at the Paul J. Gutman Library - Ashley Moore! In addition to John Vance, the library recently welcomed Ashley to our team. Ashley supports the College of Humanities and Sciences and can't wait to connect with students on the East Falls campus. Read our Q&A to learn more about Ashley.
Welcome to Jefferson! Tell us your title and a bit about your role within the Gutman Library on the East Falls campus.
Thank you so much! My official title is College of Humanities & Sciences Liaison Librarian. My supported subject areas are the Hallmarks Program for General Education (African American Studies, American Studies, Anthropology, History, International Studies, Philosophy, Sociology, World Languages, Writing), Biopsychology, Communication & Media Studies, Environmental Studies & Sustainability, Global Studies, Law & Society, Professional & Strategic Writing, and Psychology. I can help people with research in these areas, as well as the acquisition of materials that are related to these subjects.
What interested you in academic librarianship?
I became interested in academic librarianship when I was a student worker at the Paley Library at Temple University during my undergraduate years. I really wanted to work for a publishing company after graduation, and I got a work-study job because I wanted to be around books. I had a great supervisor who taught me a lot about the inner workings of academic libraries and connected a lot of dots for me about how it affects so many other aspects of academia that not a lot of people know about. Not only that, but the satisfaction I got from helping other students was undeniable – I loved being a resource for others. Pretty soon, my mindset switched, and I knew this was what I wanted to be doing long-term.
What is the most rewarding part of working with students? What has your experience been with the East Falls students so far?
One of the things I love most is when I see a student really light up once they find out we have access to something they had no idea about – or how easy it is to get things for free. I also take pride in the moments when I feel students becoming more at ease and familiar with using the online resources – it can be intimidating to navigate at first, so I try to de-mystify the process. My experience with the East Falls students has been great – each student body you work with in academia is unique. The students I've met here have all been passionate about their fields and the issues the professionals within them face, and they seem intent on being a positive change when they enter the workforce. It's really incredible.
What types of things can you help students with?
All kinds of things! The things I help the most with are guiding you through the research process – when you need to find sources on something, but aren't really sure how to tell if something is a scholarly source or peer-reviewed, or where to even begin looking. I can also help students figure out the confusing parts of an assignment.
Aside from these things, I like to think of myself as advisor in many different ways. I'm happy to give anyone recommendations on fun reads (for any genre), to talk about grad school with students considering it, to help them find professional organizations to join within their field, and more.
As a liaison librarian, what is your role within a classroom, and how can you provide support to instructors?
My main role in a classroom is usually as a guest instructor – another big part of my job is going to different classes to provide one-off teaching sessions about information literacy and library resources (upon request). I like to curate these sessions so that I can include information that will help students with a specific project or assignment. However, I can also assist professors with designing such assignments and assessments, as well as incorporating specific online resources from the library into their course teachings.
Is there any library resource you've learned about that really interests you? Any “hidden gems” you want to highlight to students and staff?
Yes! One thing I think is incredible is the access to the New York Times. It's wonderful that this involves being able to go to their website, and access their content directly. This will be more familiar to users rather than having to go through the library's website (though we of course love when people do that too!).
I would also like to shamelessly plug our leisure reading collection – when you walk into Gutman, its slightly up and off to the right. All of the books in this area are popular fiction and nonfiction titles, as well as some recipe books. The other librarians and I contribute to what goes into this collection based on what recommendations we get – though my colleague Miranda does all the heavy-lifting.
What are you most excited to work on in your first year?
The other librarians and I are planning to redesign a lot of our Research & Subject Guides, and also create new ones. Research & Subject Guides (often called LibGuides) are web pages we curate, in order to gather research and other resources about a specific topic or field all in one place.
What is something you like to do with your free time?
As of late, much of my free time has been dedicated to cheering for the Eagles (being on Broad Street for another Super Bowl win is truly the experience of a lifetime - and the NFC championship win coincided with my birthday!) – but now that football season is over, I am returning to my other favorites. I've loved to write since I was young, and hope to publish a few books someday. Right now, I'm about halfway through something on that, once it's finished, can best be described as a romance thriller. I am also big on traveling, playing the Sims, cooking, and going to concerts and theatre productions.
What is something you're binging right now?
I'm obsessed with all the works by local author Liz Moore – specifically her books The God of the Woods and Long Bright River. She is an incredible writer! I got to meet her at a signing she did at the Philly Barnes & Noble over the summer. About a week or so later, she was on Jimmy Fallon, as The God of the Woods was selected as his book club's summer pick. If you like thrillers/mysteries, I cannot recommend both of these books enough. They have each been opted for TV series - Long Bright River is set in Kensington, and premieres in March on Peacock.