SARA COOPER

EXPERIENCE

Professional Experience

REFERENCE & INSTRUCTION LIBRARIAN

September 2018 - present

Alvin Sherman Library, Research, and Information Technology Center

Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

• Promoted to Librarian II June 2021

• Assist patrons with reference and research questions in person and via phone, email, chat, and teleconferencing software 

• Conduct one-on-one reference appointments with patrons on topics including personalized search strategies, advanced query creation for database searches, source evaluation, and using sources into research

• Instruct students across disciplines and levels to locate and utilize library resources; designing instruction session outlines, learning objectives, learning activities, and comprehension checks with the Undergraduate Instruction Team

• Partner with Biology faculty to instruct students and grade assignments in senior independent study course. Over the course of a semester, meet one-on-one with students to assist with locating sources, developing a research strategy, and constructing appropriate APA citations. Grade and provide feedback for annotated bibliography assignments
   

• Co-chair Online Media Committee, conducting meetings, taking and distributing minutes, and corresponding with working group members

• User Experience Working Group, designing and conducting user feedback tools to increase accessibility and navigability of the Alvin Sherman Library website

• Library Guides Working Group

• Library Learn Working Group

• Serve as library liaison for Veteran's Research Center and Farquhar Honors College

ADJUNCT FACULTY

First Year Experience
Fall 2020

Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

UNIV 1000, a mandatory First Year Experience course for all incoming undergraduate students at NSU, is designed as both an introduction to the University community and to transitioning into a different period of one's life. Rather than focusing on retaining and regurgitating information or learning to complete discrete tasks, this class is discussion-based, with the bulk of assignments being reflective writing about personal experiences.​

Due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, students had the option to attend class virtually or in person, so the course was conducted BlendFlex, that is, synchronously on person and virtual at the same time.

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REFERENCE & INSTRUCTION LIBRARIAN

January 2018 - September 2018

Johnson & Wales University, North Miami, Florida

• Provided in-person, phone, and chat reference support for faculty and students

• Taught instruction sessions, largely about conducting research or evaluating sources, to first-year students in their introductory English classes, as well as to upperclassmen in the School of Business

• Served as library liaison for the School of Business, and offered embedded library services for classes within that department 

• Created and maintained LibGuides for various School of Business courses and subject areas

RESERVES PROCESSING ASSISTANT & CIRCULATION SUPERVISOR

August 2016 - December 2016

RB House Undergraduate Library, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

• Assisted patrons with circulation, including checking out reserve and inter-library loan materials, accessing digital materials, and finding materials in the catalog 

• Supervised student employees 

• Acted as point-person for policy and service questions and concerns

• Oversaw evening library operation

• Created course reserve lists in library OPAC, found e-reserve materials in library catalog, created data entries for digital items, and created e-reserves lists in document management system 

• Recorded, organized, and maintained physical and digital files for course reserves

• Ensured accuracy and functionality of e-reserve materials in document management system 

• Evaluated e-reserve materials for copyright fair use compliance 

• Created and optimized workflows for reserves processing and faculty communication 

• Tracked task completion and maintained transparent records regarding workflows 

• Communicated regularly with instructors regarding reserves materials

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GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

May 2015 - August 2016

Reserves Department & Research and Design Services

RB House Undergraduate Library, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

• Assisted patrons with circulation 

• Offered in-person, phone, and chat reference support 

• Designed English 105 Instruction Session lesson plans and workshop instruction sessions to contribute to a lesson plan repository

• Instructed English 105 students in information literacy skills, including developing research topics, using the library website, advanced searches, evaluating sources, and search expansion 

• Worked with the reserves department to add, renew, and maintain course reserves

• Assisted in the transition period during the University Libraries’ upgrade to a new document management system for e-reserves

REFERENCE & INFORMATION SERVICES INTERN

January 2015 - June 2015

DH Hill Library, North Carolina State University, Raleigh

• Offered in-person, phone, and chat reference support 

• Assisted patrons with circulation of reserve, inter-library loan, and digital materials in a fast-paced environment 

• Managed opening and closing procedures of the library 

• Assisted student employees with circulation, customer service, and policy questions

HEAD LIBRARIAN

April 2014 - May 2015

Ullman Classics Library, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

​Part time "Head Librarian" graduate s

• Interviewed, hired, trained, and supervised 3 interns per semester 

• Accessioned and cataloged new acquisitions in ResourceMate

• Created, organized, and maintained reserves lists for faculty for use within the department 

• Assessed library collection for gaps in acquisition, made recommendations for future purchasing, and maintained the library 

• Organized and facilitated department book sale