Penn State operates under the motto, “One campus, geographically dispersed.” Before I moved to Pennsylvania, my knowledge of state systems came from growing up in Wisconsin, under their UW system. UW Madison is the mothership, and while students might move between the various campuses, each campus operates on its own. Each campus has a library, with its own dean, librarians, staff, etc. Once I started at Penn State, I adjusted to the idea that we have one Libraries Dean, and many of my colleagues aren’t in the same location as me. Thank goodness for technology like Zoom, so while we would prefer face-to-face, we still can have a way to communicate and share ideas.
Part of my job description as the Student Engagement & Outreach Librarian is to help create a framework, vision, and approach to student engagement within the Libraries. This means I have the opportunity to work with my colleagues throughout the library, on many different campuses. It feels like a daunting task at times but it is also one of my favorite parts of my job.
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