Education

Master of Science in Library Science; University of North Texas, Denton, TX; June 1997.

Bachelor of Arts in East Asian Studies: Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH; May 1985.

University of Houston Graduate Certificate in Applied Anthropology, current student, September 2002 to present.

Experience

Consumer Health Outreach Coordinator

National Network of Libraries of Medicine, South Central Region
Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library
Houston, Texas
August 2003 to present

• Develops, coordinates, and implements consumer health information programs
• Identifies populations where there is a need to introduce consumer health information, and identifies existing consumer health collaborations and programs
• Trains librarians, consumers, and healthcare professionals in providing access to consumer health information
• Teaches PubMed/MedlinePlus/Loansome Doc and develops consumer health related courses
• Coordinates the NN/LM SCR Consumer Health Advisory Committee

Branch Manager, Librarian III

Houston Public Library, Freed-Montrose Branch
Houston, Texas
October 2000-August 2003

• Developed ways to improve staff morale and customer service: despite dwindling resources, staff and hours, circulation continued to increase
• Promoted the library through outreach and participation in community activities
• Budgeted for branch collection and selected adult materials
• Planned adult and teen programming, including a popular concert series in combination with KRTS radio station
• Wrote grant applications and news releases
• Conducted library tours

Branch Manager, Librarian II

Houston Public Library, Lakewood Branch
Houston, Texas
March 1999-October 2000

• Created strategies to increase circulation and library card ownership in a lower income, culturally diverse community
• Promoted the library through outreach and participation in community activities; created materials budget and selected adult materials
• Taught Internet and basic computer classes in the Lakewood Computer Learning Center
• Planned adult programming, including successful book group

Reference Librarian

Harris County Public Library, Baldwin Boettcher Branch
Humble, Texas
June 1997-March 1999

• Provided information services at the reference desk
• Taught online catalog search classes
• Planned adult programming and organized displays; coordinated book discussion group and brought Tony award winning author Jan de Hartog to discuss his work
• Wrote news releases and designed flyers
• Coordinated and recruited volunteers

Archives and Resource Center Administrator

Houston Grand Opera
Houston, Texas
September 1996-May 1997

• Answered questions about HGO history and filled requests for materials from staff, other opera companies, press and researchers
• Organized exhibitions for theater foyer
• Planned itinerary for visiting journalists

Junior Fellow

Library of Congress, Special Materials Cataloging Division, Music and Sound Recordings Team
Washington, D.C.
June 1996-August 1996

• Created inventory level catalog records for Armed Forces Radio and Television Service Collection
• Cataloged brief MARC records for band and choral sheet music

Outreach

• Worked closely with Houston Area Teen Coalition of Homosexuals (HATCH) to ensure that GLBT teens felt welcomed in the library. Wrote and received a Texas Book Festival grant for gay and lesbian teen collection at the Freed-Montrose Branch library; organized a poetry workshop followed by a poetry reading at the Holocaust Museum for Holocaust Remembrance Day. 2000-2003
• Provided free HIV testing at the Freed-Montrose Branch Library for National HIV Testing Day, in conjunction with the Center for AIDS and the Harris County Hospital District. June 2002
• Worked with Texas Library Association, District 8 to bring photographer Adam Mastoon, author of the award winning book Shared Heart: Portraits and Stories Celebrating Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Young People to Houston to be the keynote speaker for the conference. He spoke to several hundred Texas public and school librarians about the dangers of being a gay teenager and the importance of the library as a safe information haven. August 2001
• Started a parent-child reading program with homeless teen mothers from Covenant House, Houston. 2001-2003
• Organized and manned Houston Public Library booths at health fairs; community festivals and events; National Night Out; neighborhood association meetings; churches; PTA meetings; and school events. 1999-2003

Publications

• "Teenagers, Health, and the Internet: How Information Professionals Can Reach Out to Teens and Their Health Information Needs "
  (Author), Journal of Consumer Health on the Internet, 2005 Vol. 9, Issue 3

Teaching Experience

• "Consumer Health: An Evidence Based Approach to Complementary and Alternative Medicine"
  (Instructor) National Network of Libraries of Medicine, South Central Region, (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas), July 2004-present
• "Prescription for Success: Consumer Health on the Web"
  (Instructor) National Network of Libraries of Medicine, South Central Region, (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas), March 2004-present
• "Beyond an Apple a Day: Providing Consumer Health Information in a Public Library"
  (Instructor) National Network of Libraries of Medicine, South Central Region, (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas), July 2004-present
• "From Snake Oil to Penicillin: Evaluating Consumer Health Information on the Internet"
  (Instructor) National Network of Libraries of Medicine, South Central Region, (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas), July 2004-present
• "Looking in all the Wrong Places: PubMed for the Public Librarian"
  (Instructor) National Network of Libraries of Medicine, South Central Region, (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas), July 2004-present
• "NLM's Consumer Health Databases"
  (Instructor) National Network of Libraries of Medicine, South Central Region, (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas), July 2004-present
• "¿No Comprende? Spanish Health Information Resources for English Speaking Librarians"
  (Instructor) National Network of Libraries of Medicine, South Central Region, (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas), September 2004-present
• "Caring for the Mind: Providing Reference Services for Mental Health Information"
  (Instructor) National Network of Libraries of Medicine, South Central Region, (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas), December 2004-present
• "About MedlinePlus"
  (Instructor) National Network of Libraries of Medicine, South Central Region, (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas), February 2004-present
• "Keeping Up with PubMed"
  (Instructor) National Network of Libraries of Medicine, South Central Region (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas), February 2004-present
• "Computer Basics," "Internet Basics," "Microsoft Word," and "Microsoft Excel,"
  (Instructor) Houston Public Library Computer Learning Centers, 1999 to 2001
• "Online Catalog"
  (Instructor) Harris County Public Library, 1997-1999

Professional Affiliations

• American Library Association, 2001 to present
• Public Library Association, 2001 to present;
  Branch Library Committee, chair, 2002-2004
• Medical Library Association, 2003 to present
• South Central Chapter/Medical Library Association, 2003 to present
  Bylaws Committee, 2005-2007
• Arkansas Library Association, 2004 to present
• Louisiana Library Association, 2004 to present
• New Mexico Library Association, 2004 to present
• Oklahoma Library Association, 2004 to present
• Texas Library Association, 1997 to present
  2003 Conference Program Planning Committee, 2001-2003
  2006 Local Arrangements Committee, 2005-2006
• Greenwood Publishing Group, Public Library Advisory Board, 2003-2004
• Project Row Houses, Facility and Archive Planning Committee, 2001-2003