Prior to joining the Access/Information team in 2014, I spent the majority of my time in academia. I have always loved learning about new areas and earned several degrees in law, librarianship, social sciences and communication. I worked at law school libraries for 20 years where I taught legal research skills to law students and provided reference services to students, faculty, local attorneys, and members of the public.
My time in education helped shape me into the research specialist I am today. At DU, I learned to vary my research approach based on the type of customer and the level of detail that was needed to answer their specific question. I became an experienced user of an assortment of databases that ranged in topics from law to business to social sciences.
Community involvement is important to me. Historically I have been very active in professional associations at the national, regional, and local level which has enabled me to develop a valuable network of contacts whose expertise I can draw upon.
Another part of my life involves training and showing dogs in a variety of sports for the past 10 years. Dog training has enhanced my observation skills and taught me some valuable lessons that have influenced my approach at Access/Information:
• Break complex projects down into smaller actionable steps
• Seek feedback and use it to improve your performance or pivot in a new direction
• A varied approach more often leads to success
• Clients are important sources of information – listen to what they are telling you
• The steps along the way are just as important as the final result
All of which has contributed to the cultivation of a unique methodology that allows me to better understand the precise requirements of the diverse group of clients we serve here at Access/Information. And really, when you think about it, I never left the educational field. The beauty of this profession, is it allows me to fulfill the need to not only constantly educate myself, but then turn around and assist others through actionable data which can be used to strategically grow their business.