Let’s shine the Member Spotlight on Nicole Martin from Cuyahoga Community College!

What is/are your role(s) in academic libraries?

I am an Adjunct Faculty Librarian with Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C), dividing my time between the Westshore Campus Library and Metropolitan Campus Library. In my role I assist students with research and locating materials at our reference desk, as well as through our online chat and email, manage a portion of the Metro Library’s liberal arts and humanities collection, assist with leading information literacy classes, and support the Faculty Librarians work however I can.

What do you like most about academic library work?

I love connecting with the students and helping them to feel confident in their academic abilities!  As a first-generation college student myself I know how intimidating college can be, so I enjoy helping to create a welcoming, supportive, and safe learning space where students feel they belong. It is a delight to be part of an institution where intellectual curiosity and life-long learning are so highly valued.

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

I am helping support some great upcoming wellness events for students this spring, including a campus-wide Wellness Fair and our bi-annual Stress Less for Success week programming which occurs the week before finals. These student engagement opportunities are a fun way to connect with students in a new way outside of the library or classroom. I am also really excited to be starting this year as a new member of the ALA Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table Addressing Comics Censorship Committee. This committee works to help library workers prepare for and address bans, challenges, and other forms of censorship to comics and graphic novels in libraries and I am looking forward to being involved in supporting intellectual freedom initiatives.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

I am an unabashed horror nerd. I love reading spooky and weird fiction, watching horror films, and listening to horror media podcasts. I’m currently a part-time graduate student with Ohio University, working towards my Master’s in English, and I hope to incorporate my appreciation for this genre into my master’s essay.

Why did you join ALAO?

I spent over ten years working as a public librarian before redirecting my focus to academic librarianship, a career shift I had been interested in exploring for years, so I joined ALAO as a way to learn more about the academic libraries of Ohio, to network with experienced academic librarians, and to participate in ALAO’s professional development opportunities.

–Laura Birkenhauer, Membership Chair, Miami University