Meet Associate Professor of Library Stephanie Hallam, MLIS, who joined the faculty last fall as the health sciences, STEM and open educational resources (OER) librarian.
Q. What drew you to your academic discipline?
A. I have always been drawn to building bridges. Bridges between people, information, learning and solutions. One day my sister suggested I apply to library school. I was accepted and fell in love with librarianship.
Q. What is the most fun aspect of being a librarian?
A. Collaboration! I have the privilege of collaborating with faculty, students and people from around the world on all kinds of projects. No two days are the same; there is much to learn and explore, and it is so exciting to see the outcomes. My work has ranged from discovering how to locate items in a database to help a student doing research to presenting about OER in Ukraine to giving national presentations with colleagues.
Q. What would you like Whitworth students to know about the library?
A. The best, and often most overlooked, library resource is the librarians. They can help you find resources, provide you with ideas for research, and connect you with fascinating information. Besides, we love helping students!
Q. What’s something great about your Whitworth department?
A. The library is an amazing department. People are always willing to help and support each other. They are experts in their fields and truly care for each other and Whitworth.
JUST FOR FUN…
Q. What might your students be surprised to learn about you?
A. I love dancing and met my husband swing dancing.
Q. Tell us about your pets.
A. We have a red beta fish called Kiss-Kiss, named after the main character in “The Pout-Pout Fish.” We also have a gray and black cat named Callie after the character in the “Pete the Cat” book series. Both were named by my children, and yes, we read a lot of children’s books.
Q. What artists or musical genre do you play when you need a pick-me-up?
A. Swing music! Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman are some of my favorite musicians. Seriously, it’s hard not to smile when listening to songs like “Potato Chips” by Slim Gaillard.
Q. If you could spend a day as any fictional character, who would it be and why?
A. Mrs. Frizzle from “The Magic School Bus.” She’s enthusiastic, adventurous and loves making learning an engaging, hands-on experience. Like a great librarian, she encourages curiosity, exploration and creativity – plus, she has a knack for making information come alive.
Worth a Look 