Let’s Shine the Member Spotlight on Shaunda Vasudev, Outreach & Engagement Librarian at Capital University!

What is your role(s) in academic libraries?

I am an Outreach & Engagement Librarian at Capital University. In this role I provide a library connection to various campus outlets. This includes creating library programs for students and collaborating with campus departments to promote library services. A big part of my role is working with these departments and student organizations to support student success initiatives through library outreach.

In addition to outreach, I offer liaison support and instruction to Education, Art, World Languages & Cultures, and History departments. I also provide an introduction to library services to first year seminar classes.

What do you like most about academic library work?

I enjoy interacting with users through a variety of experiences such as class visits, campus events, and cultural gatherings. Academic librarians are a valuable part of the academic community. We are not only assisting students, but also faculty.

Capital’s faculty engage in sabbatical presentations throughout the year and a Spanish professor invited me to hers. It blew me away…the presentation gave a global perspective on textile creation, waste, and gender identity. I’ve never looked at fashion and excess clothing in this way before. I left feeling empowered and it provided another means for me to connect with students. I want students to use the skills they obtain from information literacy instruction to produce a similar connection for their audience.

What are some interesting projects you’ve been involved with lately?

Our Center for Global Education has some amazing leadership and they really value librarians. I just completed a semester embedded in an Intensive English Language Program with non-native English speakers. The course focused on projects that begin with research consultations for all students. We ended with me attending the students final oral presentation and asking questions related to their research topic. This was a great opportunity to get to know those students better and learn more about their information seeking needs and behaviors.

Last summer I was new to my role and reached out to the Outreach Librarian at Oberlin College. They not only offered tremendous support to me, they had a brilliant idea to start a supportive community of practice for others in similar roles. We worked together with Ohio academic librarians to draft a proposal for the Programming, Outreach, and Marketing Interest Group  (PROMIG). In less than a year, the group has expanded its membership to include 32 librarians. We are so excited to move forward with creating a space where librarians can connect and share resources related to marketing, outreach, and programming.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

I learned how to play guitar from my dad. He’s been playing as a hobby for years and bought me my first acoustic. It was pretty consistent with weekly lessons scheduled on Sundays for about a year. I got up to some beginners level barre chords and thought I was Hendrix.

What do you love about being an ALAO member?

I love attending the conference the most! It felt like a great balance of learning and getting to socialize with librarians from all over Ohio. It was easy to meet new people and as a result, I made some better connections with librarians in the central Ohio area.

–Anita Slack, Communications Editor, Capital University