Teaching
I prepare future librarians and information professionals to serve their communities with creativity, curiosity, and care. In my courses, students connect theory with practice while developing the skills needed to support learners of all ages.
Subjects
My teaching areas include youth services, graphic novels and comics, storytelling, reader engagement, and library programming. I encourage students to think critically, collaborate with others, and explore new ideas while building confidence in their professional identities.
Read more about the current courses I am teaching at the University of North Texas.
Reading interests and behavior of adults, including younger and older adults. Selection and use of books and other materials for recreation and self-development. Adult programs and services, including reading guidance. Wide reading and use of literature and non-print materials in different fields.
History and development of comic books, graphic novels, their subgenres as literature. Role in western and international societies and cultures. Issues of youth/adult readership and literacy. Race, gender, politics, violent content issues. Presence in popular culture, the Internet, art forms, and translation into movies. Selection tools, policies, collection development, and censorship. Comics and graphic novels programming in libraries and schools.
History of youth services librarianship. Theory and methods of ethnographic evaluation. Community assessment and interviews. Users and designers of youth information services and systems. Current trends.
This course prepares librarians to work with children, teens, and families in a public library setting.
Learning sciences is an interdisciplinary field that works to further understanding of learning across settings, in both formal and informal environments. Students will explore theories of human development and learning, current research into the learning lives of people in a variety of situations, and methods of improving services through design-based implementation research. By the end of this course, students will be able to identify and apply effective tools and practices to support learners of all ages in pursuing their goals via library programs and services.
This summer semester course includes 4 weeks in Ireland. Students will study Storytelling for Information Professionals (INFO 5440) with me, and Rhetoric and Public Memory (COMM 4240) with Dr. Brian Lain.
Through the interdisciplinary lenses of communication and information science, students will learn how societies preserve, share, and debate their pasts as they visit iconic sites across Dublin, Belfast, and Derry, including museums, archives, memorials, folklife collections, and historic landmarks. Through encounters with Irish scholars, cultural organizations, and living storytelling traditions, participants will examine how narratives shape identity, community, and history. The program offers a unique opportunity to develop skills in storytelling, communication, and cultural analysis while experiencing Ireland’s rich heritage firsthand.
Mentorship
I enjoy mentoring graduate students and supporting emerging scholars as they develop their research interests and career goals.
I offer guest lectures and webinars for LIS programs, public libraries, and international youth-serving organizations.
