Department of Library and Information Studies

Jennifer L Smith

How are you a member of the UNCG LIS family?

I am a student in Greensboro concentrating on academic libraries.

Tell us about the accomplishments you are most proud of in terms of your academic, professional accomplishments, etc. (brag points for us to use in other words)

I am most proud that I am working full-time in an academic library while going to school and doing well at it (i.e. not completely losing my sanity). I am also excited and proud that I wrote two entries for an encyclopedia of American Women’s History that will be published in the near future. These were two biographical sketches (one was librarian Josephine Rathbone), and in order to write them I had to dig around in books and microfilm/fiche. They were not online. I was only able to do this because of Dr. Carmichael’s reference classes where he taught us the value of print sources as well as electronic.

Give us a brief bio of yourself including your educational and professional background.

I grew up in Burlington, NC. I attended UNCG as an undergraduate. While an undergrad I spent a semester in Finland. I graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a double major in Women’s Studies and Sociology. After graduation, I worked in a public library for three years where I worked in circulation, reference, and then the children’s department. Then four years ago I started working at the Belk Library at Elon University, starting out in the Cataloging/Acquisitions area, and then moving to the Government Documents/Serials Department. At Elon I am also a member of the Women’s and Gender Studies Advisory Board, and the Phi Beta Kappa Faculty/Staff committee.

Do you have a favorite saying or motto you live by? If not, please give us a concise one or two sentence blurb.

"Jesus and Buddha and Krishna and Minnie Pearl knew do unto others the things you want done unto you." -Rodney Crowell

What role does your education and/or professional position play in applying library and information studies for the benefit of others and society in general?

I believe very strongly in the library as an organization. For me, it is not just about information. I believe that being a librarian is about working in a place where information is free and fully available to those that need it to better their lives.

Favorite food and drink:

Coffee and dark chocolate

Favorite song or musical group:

Aimee Mann

Favorite movie or television show:

Just about any mystery where the actors have a British accent.

One person you would choose to be marooned on a desert island with....

The humorist David Sedaris, if I am marooned I want to laugh about it.

Anything else you would like to say to the rest of the UNCG LIS community on our Web site?

Getting this degree can be tough, but I think that in the end I will be very, very happy I stuck it out.

Department of Library and Information Studies
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
349 Curry Building, PO Box 26170
Greensboro, NC 27402-6170
VOICE 336.334.3477
FAX 336.334.5060
EMAIL cpfelts@uncg.edu