University of Michigan-Flint
This Fall we welcomed two new librarians to the Thompson Library faculty: Tyra Briscoe and Meagan Brown. After giving them a couple of months to get their feet under them, we sat down for a brief interview to get to know them.
Tyra BriscoeTyra is newly graduated from the University of Michigan's School of Information (UMSI) after spending her undergrad years at Oakland Community College and then at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor.
LS: Can you tell us a little bit about your background and what drew you to academic librarianship?
TB: When I first went to college I was an English major but wasn't sure what I wanted to do with that degree, so I was kind of researching different careers and came across librarianship. I really like sharing information and knowledge with people and it seemed like the job fit me. I got my associate's degree from Oakland Community College in library services and technology and then UMSI was doing outreach to the community college about their 2 + 1 program which was a bachelor's degree with an accelerated master's. So I completed my bachelor's in user experience with a minor in linguistics and had a library science concentration for my master's.
LS: What are your main responsibilities in your new role and what are you most excited to work on?
TB: My responsibilities are improving and assessing the resources, services, and presence of the library and archives, as well as researching the library-related needs and behaviors of the campus community and responding to them. Basically continually evolving the library and better meeting the needs of everybody we serve. I'm most excited about cleaning up the website and updating it a bit.
LS: Are there any kind of particular areas of interest or expertise that you hope to develop here?
TB: I want to keep getting better at the user experience aspect of librarianship because it's relatively new in the library field. And there's a lot of research methods and different kinds of deliverables or design techniques that that I have yet to learn. My undergrad degree was very industry focused, which encourages people to act in a specific way or pick this product over another rather than helping them find the right information.
LS: How do you hope to connect with students, faculty, and the campus community in your work?
TB: I think it's kind of hard because my job is a bit more like behind the scenes in nature, but one aspect of it I think will just be like providing like just like reference and research help. And then once I get started on user research there will be surveys and interviews to collect community feedback.
LS: How have you liked working at UM-Flint so far?
TB: I really enjoyed it. Everyone's been super nice and welcoming. And I kind of like the smaller, more close-knit community. I feel like compared to Ann Arbor there were just so many people all the time and no way to know even like a fraction of all the people that worked in the library even. So I think here I feel like it's kind of easier to connect with people.
LS: What's something fun or surprising about you that helps people get to know you?
TB: I like to draw and do more artistic things. I also began to learn Japanese in high school and am picking that back up. I just earned an N5 certification on the Japanese Language Proficiency Test.
LS: Is there anything that you're currently reading, watching, or listening to that you'd like to plug?
TB: I'm currently reading Madonna in a Fur Coat by Sabahattin Ali and am enjoying it.
Meagan BrownMeagan is an experienced librarian who worked for several years in both public and academic library settings. She graduated with her bachelor's in social work from the University of Michigan - Flint and her master's in library science from Wayne State University.
LS: Can you tell us a little bit about your background and what drew you to academic librarianship?
MB: I started with a background in social work and decided it wasn't really for me, so I went to grad school to become a librarian, which I love. I started in public libraries and felt like I reached a place where I couldn't go any further, so I switched to academic libraries because of my fascination with research, finding information, and helping students. I was at Kettering University for a couple of years, but applied for the position at UM-Flint to expand my focus beyond engineering.
LS: What are your main responsibilities in your new role and what are you most excited to work on?
MB: One is connecting with students and helping them feel more comfortable and confident using library resources, and also connecting with other departments to see how the library can better assist all of our students. I am definitely most excited about working directly with students. I've always learned so much from everyone, and I really like to see the growth that happens as people learn and change.
LS: Are there any particular areas of interest or a program that you're hoping to develop?
MB: My favorite thing is working with students who maybe don't have library experience, so I'd really like to do more to help students grow those skills. I know it can be really overwhelming stepping into an academic library. That was my experience too. I really felt super overwhelmed and out of place when I started college, especially doing research. So I'd really like to build some programs to help people just start to feel more comfortable and feel okay with asking questions.
LS: How do you hope to connect with students, faculty, and the campus community in your work?
MB: I hope to do a lot of one-on-one support, but I'm also excited to work with the Student Success Center and the EOI office to kind of build some workshops so that it can be kind of an interactive, growing experience for myself too. But really just getting my face out there so that you feel comfortable coming to me with any questions or asking for help.
LS: What do you hope people on campus will learn about libraries that they might not already know, or this library in particular?
MB: That it's not as scary as it looks. Everything seems really hard when you first get started, but if you have somebody to help guide you and break it down into smaller pieces, it's a lot easier. And you don't ever have to feel bad for interrupting us to ask questions. That's what we went to grad school for, basically, and we're not judging your questions. We really just want to help you.
LS: How have you liked working at UM Flint so far?
MB: My coworkers are great. The students that I've met are just amazing. And the faculty and staff I've met have also been very supportive and excited to meet me. Everyone's just been very welcoming.
LS: What's something fun or surprising about you that helps people get to know you?
MB: I'm an "old lady crafter," and I really like to volunteer. I helped out with Inclusive Halloween this year. And I'm basically obsessed with cooking and baking; I have been a recipe tester for several vegan cookbooks.
LS: Is there anything that you're currently reading, watching, or listening to that you'd like to plug?
MB: I'm listening to an audiobook called Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao, which is about a pawnshop that trades in secrets rather than items.
Both Tyra and Meagan are working on campus most days, so stop in and say hello!
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