The OK-ACRL Annual Conference kicks off on Monday, November 6 with a free virtual pre-conference session exploring academic library careers!

Register for this free virtual event here.

Join eight people working in academic libraries and archives from across the state as we engage in a wide ranging conversation about their pathways into librarianship, advice for people starting down similar paths, challenges in their current position, and what continues to interest and engage them about their work.

Date & Time: Monday, November 6 at 2:00 PM Central Standard Time (CST)

Please also join us for our second free virtual event on Wednesday: Virtual Lightning Talks!

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Panelists

Kaitlin Crotty
Library Director
Stratton Taylor Library, Rogers State University

Kaitlin Crotty began her library career in 2007 as a student worker in the Stratton Taylor Library at Rogers State University. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications in 2010, she earned her Master of Library and Information Studies degree from the University of Oklahoma in 2013 while working as a library technician for the Schusterman Library at OU-Tulsa. In 2015, Kaitlin returned to RSU as their Access Services & Distance Learning Librarian. She has subsequently served as Associate Library Director and Interim Library Director and was officially named Library Director at RSU in April of 2023. Kaitlin advises the RSU Pride student organization and is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as supporting and advocating for marginalized populations.

James Dodd
Cataloging & Metadata Librarian
Tulsa Community College Library, Metro Campus  

James holds a BA in English/Creative Writing from Oklahoma State University (2011). He earned his MLIS from the University of Oklahoma (2018).

James first gained experience working in libraries as a graduate student, completing a semester-long, for-credit internship at the Northeastern State University library at the Broken Arrow campus. Shortly after his internship ended, a full-time position became available there, and he was hired as the Library Services Assistant. Mentored by Pamela Louderback (the NSU-BA Library Director), James discovered his love for all things cataloging and metadata. After a short time, James was given the opportunity to take on the Head of Technical Services role, overseeing the department’s operations from both the Tahlequah and Broken Arrow campuses. In that position, he learned a great deal about the acquisitions process, managing electronic resources, and leading a small department. In 2021, James left NSU to become the Cataloging & Metadata Librarian for Tulsa Community College, serving as the principal cataloger for the library’s collection across four campuses. He continues to expand his knowledge by frequently collaborating with, and serving as backup for, the Systems Librarian as well as the Knowledge Management Librarian.

Courtney Helm
Instructor/Lecturer
John Vaughan Library, Northeastern State University

Courtney serves as the First Year Experience and Assessment librarian on the Tahlequah campus. An NSU alumni, Courtney graduated from the Tahlequah campus with a Bachelor’s in English. She went on to pursue her Master’s in Library and Information Studies while working as a Youth Associate at Tulsa City-County Library. At the library, Courtney provided programming for children and teenagers.

While gaining her MLIS, Courtney found a love for research and learning. She hopes to combine her experience of implementing creative programming with her passion for research and learning to create a fun and engaging learning experience for students, faculty, and staff.

Outside of work, she can be found reading, writing, or leisurely researching journal articles while her dog, Cali May, snores sleepily beside her.

Toni Hoberecht
Technical Services Librarian
Schusterman Library, University of Oklahoma-Tulsa

Toni Hoberecht (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0231-2126) is the technical services librarian at the Schusterman Library at the University of Oklahoma – Tulsa. In addition to managing interlibrary loan, collection development, acquisitions, and the library’s catalog, she provides support to the library’s reference and instruction librarians. She received her MLIS from the University of Oklahoma and a master’s degree from the Writing Program at Syracuse University. Her current research interests include using data to inform improvements in library processes.

Rowen Hutchins
Graduate Assistant
Schusterman Library, The University of Oklahoma-Tulsa

Rowen Hutchins has been a Graduate Research Assistant at OU-Tulsa’s Schusterman Library since January of 2022. They are currently in the final semester of OU’s MLIS program and will be graduating in December. 

Dani Kirsch
Research Data Specialist
Edmon Low Library, Oklahoma State University

Dani Kirsch is a Research Data Specialist at Oklahoma State University (OSU). She has a background in research and a passion for all things data-related, but is particularly excited to engage with student researchers to foster better data management skills and a commitment to open science. In addition to her new role as a Research Data Specialist, Dani is also a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Integrative Biology at OSU with plans to graduate this coming spring. Her dissertation focuses on the effects of perceptions of risk and safety, chronic and acute predation risk exposure, and predation risk exposure timing on freshwater snails. While lab work can be enjoyable, Dani’s favorite part of research is data cleaning, analysis, and visualization. She is originally from Edwardsville, Illinois but now lives in Stillwater with her partner and her derpy cat. She enjoys playing Minecraft, disc golf, and piano and wishes she had the time and energy to dedicate to fictional writing. Her favorite food is chocolate (in many forms) and she knows more random facts about the acute bladder snail than anyone could possibly need to know.

Sana Masood
Assistant Professor/Archivist
Edmon Low Library, Oklahoma State University

Sana Masood is the Archivist for Special Collections at Oklahoma State University. She is currently serving as Information Officer for the Oklahoma Archivists Association. Previously, she worked in university and museum archives in New York City. Her professional interests are reparative work, representation, and history of science in archives. She received her MA in Archives & Public History from New York University and her BA in History of Science, Medicine, and Technology from the University of Oklahoma.

Joy Summers-Ables
Director, Robert M. Bird Health Sciences Library
Professor and Chair, Department of Health Sciences Library, Graduate College
The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

Joy Summers-Ables’ experience of 40 years has been with the Robert M. Bird Health Sciences Library (BHSL) at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.  Since 2013 she has held the position of Director and holds the rank of Professor and Chair of the Department Of Health Sciences Library and Information Management.  After earning her BS in Zoology and her MLIS at the University of Oklahoma, she began her professional career in the Reference Department, with subsequent positions as the Head of Access Services, and then Head of Computing and Associate Director.  Having worked in all public services areas of the BHSL, her computing background provided her the opportunity to work with Monographic Services, the History of Medicine and Serials Services.  A longstanding member of the Medical Library Association (MLA), Joy served on the Board of Directors 2011-2014 and is currently appointed to the Joint MLA/Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries Legislative Task Force.  She is active in the South Central Chapter of the Medical Library Association for which she has served as President in addition to holding other positions.  Currently she serves as Chair of the South Central Academic Medical Libraries (SCAMeL) consortium which is comprised of directors from participating institutions, and participates in the Oklahoma Council of Academic Library Directors (OCALD).  Her interests include library and educational technology, inter-professional collaboration, employee relations in the workplace, and space planning.