Pamela Whiteley McLaughlin
(315) 443-9788
Syracuse University Library has announced the appointment of Fantasia Thorne and Tina Chan as Learning Commons resident librarians.
Thorne joined the library on Sept. 1. She received her M.L.I.S. from Simmons College in 2007 and holds a B.A. in English Arts from Southern Connecticut State University. She is working on an advanced degree in English. She most recently worked as a part-time reference librarian at New Haven Free Public Library in Connecticut and as an archives and catalog assistant at the Yale University Divinity School Library. Prior to receiving her M.L.I.S., Thorne worked as a library assistant at the West Haven Public Library and as a student aide at the Yale University Beinecke Library and the New Haven Free Public Library. She is an active member of the American Library Association’s Black Caucus and the ALA Office of Literacy and Outreach Services.
Chan joined the library on Sept. 16. She received her M.L.I.S. from Simmons College in 2009. She holds a B.A. in psychology and an M.A. in Asian American studies, both from San Francisco State University. Prior to her move to Syracuse, Chan worked as a gifts processing assistant and records management assistant at the Morton R. Godine Library of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and as a preservation intern at the State Library of Massachusetts, both in Boston. While pursuing her M.L.I.S., Chan worked as a reference and circulation assistant and student supervisor at the Beatley Library of Simmons College. She also completed internships in the Beatley Library archives and at the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center at Boston University. She has been the recipient of several scholarships and travel grants for participation in national conferences and professional development activities.
The Learning Commons resident librarian is a newly created program within the library. Offered only to individuals within two years of receiving their master’s degree in library and/or information science, resident librarian positions offer librarians transitioning from graduate study to professional practice an opportunity to explore career options under the mentorship and guidance of experienced library professionals. Each resident librarian is appointed to a term of either two or three years. The resident librarian program provides experiential learning opportunities for new librarians interested in serving undergraduate student populations.
The program enhances the diverse nature of the Learning Commons staff by offering professional opportunities to members of underrepresented populations. It also provides the Learning Commons with a steady infusion of the latest scholarship, research and practice regarding undergraduate services.
In addition to providing core services, such as reference, orientation and outreach, resident librarians contribute to other Learning Commons programs—emerging technologies and service innovation, virtual reference and Web services, and service assessment. They also engage in research projects to study undergraduate student learning and communication behaviors using ethnographic and other research modalities.
For more information on the resident librarian program, contact Lisa Moeckel, associate dean for undergraduate education in Syracuse University Library at 443-9790 or lemoecke@syr.edu.
