Rachel A. Smith
180 Northbrook Lane, Apt 211
State College PA, 16803
(919)672-0975
RachelAdeleSmith@gmail.com
Educational Information
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Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Immersion Program
Burlington, VT
Teacher Track
July 2014
University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG)
Greensboro, NC
Master of Library and Information Studies
May 2013
North Carolina Central University (NCCU)
Durham, NC
Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Performance
Magna Cum Laude – May 2010
Work Experience
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Resident Librarian
The Pennsylvania State University Libraries
08/2013-present
As an inaugural Diversity Residency Program Librarian, I work via rotations in various departments in
the Libraries. I have worked in the University Research Hub, which is a suite of services aimed at
providing advanced research help for upperclassmen and faculty researchers in business and the
behavioral and social sciences. I have led specialized library instruction sessions for courses in the African
American Studies department as well as the SAIL (Student Athletes In Libraries) Program. I have created
video tutorials for databases and library tools, the links to which can be found in the “Presentations and
Selected Published Videos” section below. I have also completed a rotation in the library’s department of
Adaptive Technology Services, during which I translated textbooks into accessible formats for blind PSU
students and facilitated library visits from visually impaired Pennsylvania high school students. While
working in the department of Digitaization and Preservation, I served as project manager for the
digitization and restoration of The Penn State Froth, a student-led magazine published from 1910 to 1985,
which included scanning, editing, handling sensitive materials, linking metadata, and loading collection
of 19,876 images to CONTENTdm. The Froth collection can be viewed here:
http://collection1.libraries.psu.edu/cdm/search/collection/froth/ The main focus of my residency has been
my work in the department of Library Learning Services (LLS). In LLS, I provide library instruction,
create learning objects that adhere to ACRL’s Information Literacy Competency Standards, and I serve
as collection developer and co-selector for the library’s Leisure Viewing Collection.
Library instruction sessions taught as of 3/3/2015: 47
Approximate amount of PSU students reached through my instruction: 1130
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Association of Research Libraries Career Enhancement Program Fellow
University of Arizona Main Library
05/2013-07/2013
Provided library instruction for students in the Business Careers Awareness Program focusing on business
databases, sources, and marketing-related services the Libraries offered. Co-authored, directed, and
provided voice and screen talent for a short video highlighting the Libraries' Ask a Librarian feature which
can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91j_OX44cJg. Created a 3-minute animated video
explaining the idea of research as conversation which can be viewed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vmE9WBHlXg. Using the software SCVNGR, I created treks and
challenges in a scavenger hunt format for implementation during the fall freshman library orientation
sessions.
Teaching Resources Center (TRC) Graduate Assistant
UNCG Teaching Resources Center (TRC)
01/2013-05/2013
Instructional Technology Graduate Assistant
UNCG School of Education Department of Instructional Technology
08/2012-05/2013
Graduate Researcher and Content Developer
UNCG Libraries - Special Collections and University Archives
08/2011-06/2012
Cataloging and Reference Intern
Bennett College for Women - Thomas F. Holgate Library
08/2011-05-2012
Reference Page and Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Clerk
Durham County Public Library - Main Branch
08/2008-12/2009
Honors and Achievements
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Awarded full grant to attend 2014 CIC (Committee on Institutional Cooperation) CLI (Center for
Library Initiatives) Conference (Spring 2014)
Awarded acceptance into ACRL Immersion Program (Spring 2014)
Appointed as a faculty member of the PSU President’s Commission for Women (Fall 2013)
Awarded Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Career Enhancement Program Fellowship at
University of Arizona Main Library (Summer 2013)
Co-created a course and its plan of study. The course “Critical Multicultural Information Practices” is
currently offered as an elective in the UNCG LIS Curriculum (Fall 2012)
“iDEALS” Information Diversity Engagement Access and Libraries Summit Poster Session - 3rd Place
Winner (UNCG) 2012
Academic and Cultural Enrichment “ACE” Scholar (UNCG) 2011-2013
“iDEALS” Summit Poster Session - 1st Place Winner (UNCG) 2011
Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society (NCCU) 2009
University Honors Program (NCCU) 2006-2010
Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary Band Sorority inductee (NCCU) 2006
Presentations and Selected Published Videos
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2014 ALA Annual Conference – Las Vegas, NV – June 29, 2014
“Stop Dreaming and Do It! Best Practices for Gaining Momentum, Developing and Maintaining a
Successful Residency Program”
ARL Leadership Symposium – Seattle WA – January 2013
“Mosaic of Diversity” ARL Career Enhancement Fellows Discussion
Panel Discussion Member
UNCG iDEALS Summit – Greensboro, NC – November 2012
“Is It Discomfort or Information Illiteracy?: How Culturally Competent Librarians Can Foster an
Information Literate Society”
Poster Presentation
Joint Conference of Librarians of Color – Kansas City, MO – September 2012
“Transforming the Education of Diverse Students”
“Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Where are the Librarians of Color?”
Session Presentation and Subsequent Panel Discussion Member
UNCG Special Collections and University Archives – Greensboro, NC
May 2012-September 2012
“Online Literary Map of North Carolina”
Exhibit Presentation Hosted in Walter Clinton Jackson Library of UNCG
UNCG iDEALS Summit – Greensboro, NC – November 2011
“Online Literary Map of North Carolina”
North Carolina Library Association Conference – Hickory, NC – October 2011
“Transforming the Education of Diverse Students: Learning through Dialogue with the Next Generation
of Librarians”
Panel Presentation
North Carolina Library Association Conference – Hickory, NC – October 2011
“Online Literary Map of North Carolina”
Poster Presentation
Organizing Your Research: Using the Research Project Calculator
https://psu.box.com/s/0937d7b6oqzbj42ojq43xwvhrkxih5hi
Hoover’s Online: Conducting Company Research
www.psu.app.box.com/s/8hqg1h36auk5yf33q1vr
Using ThomsonONE
www.dropbox.com/s/jp2w26yrmja6mf3/New%20ThomsonONE%20480p.mp4?dl=0
Locating the Wall Street Journal
www.dropbox.com/s/xm2wxyitn16h59k/New%20Wall%20Street%20Journal%20480p.mp4?dl=0
Using IBISWorld
https://www.dropbox.com/s/70ommudn7tdghfj/IBISWorld%20720p.mp4?dl=0
Service to Library Profession
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American Library Association (ALA)
Pennsylvania Library Association (PaLA)
College and Research Division
Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA)
Service to PSU Libraries
 University Libraries’ Diversity Committee
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Programs Subcommittee Chair
Libraries Open House Steering Group
Curriculum Subcommittee
PSU Library Faculty Organization
Disability Services Committee
Special Collections Search Committee, Spring 2015
Service to Penn State University Community
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President’s Commission for Women (CFW)
Personal Safety and Sexual Assault Awareness Committee
PSU Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Planning Committee
HUB-Robeson Center Advisory Board (HRCAB)
PSU Student Technology Advisory Committee (STAC)
Language and Technical Skills
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American Sign Language (ASL) – Limited Working Proficiency
Mastery of Microsoft Office programs (Access, Excel, InfoPath, PowerPoint, Publisher, Visio, and Word).
Mastery of library automation systems in SirsiDynix (Horizon)
Mastery of Adobe programs (Acrobat, Bridge, Dreamweaver, and Photoshop).
Mastery in working with several operating systems, including Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows
Vista, MSDOS, and Mac OSX.
Experience conducting library needs assessments and assembling assessment reports.
Experience with HTML Coding, Web production, and video editing (Camtasia, Movie Captioner,
Windows Movie Maker, iMovie for Mac OSX).
Experience loading in CONTENTdm
Experience using flatbed scanners and BetterLight overhead scanners.