Heidi Senior

Reference & Instruction Librarian

“As a reference/instruction librarian, I specialize in helping people save time and energy by connecting them to the best information available for their particular needs and trying to make that information as accessible as possible. I work closely with faculty to make sure that the resources their students need are available to them. Another of my areas of interest is assessment; I managed the Clark Library’s recent campus-wide satisfaction survey, and I am looking at how students use information sources and how teaching librarians can adjust our instruction to help them find and incorporate better sources.

What I love about reference librarianship is that it rewards people who have a wide range of interests; everything you read, watch, or listen to might come in handy at some point to help answer a reference question. The field is devoted to improving everyone’s experience of accessing information; which means that teaching and understanding technology go hand in hand. The field is constantly changing, and I enjoy the challenge of keeping current.

My research interests include a multi-campus examination of business students’ awareness of research resources, and business librarian liaisons’ best practices in building relationships with faculty. I prefer collaborative efforts where my co-authors and I share expertise and accountability, both essential elements for successful completion of any project.

I hope to help our students gain an appreciation of the wealth of information resources they have access to and how those resources are organized. In my information sessions, I introduce students to the keys that can help them unlock information on their topics across multiple platforms. Along with UP’s collegial atmosphere — even though everyone is very busy, people across campus make time to discuss new approaches to teaching — interacting with students is the most gratifying part of my work. They seem sharper every year, and I love seeing them mature as critical users of information.”

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