UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Three Penn State University Libraries librarians have been named to three-year appointments as early career librarians effective July 1, 2024. Established to support library faculty in the first decade of their careers, these appointments provide endowment funding to support individual career growth and research initiatives advancing the University Libraries’ mission and strategic priorities.
“Our endowed early career librarianship roles offer a rare opportunity for librarians in the first phase of their faculty careers to explore passion projects of strategic impact to scholarship and outreach efforts with funding dedicated toward achieving their proposals,” said Faye A. Chadwell, dean of University Libraries and Scholarly Communications. “Our donors have provided valuable time for our selected librarians to pursue their career interests while also contributing to the student and research experience for all Penn Staters.”
Bryan McGeary, learning design and open education engagement librarian in Library Learning Services, has accepted the Sally W. Kalin Early Career Librarianship for Learning Innovations. His selected proposal addresses two important areas not well explored to date by open educational resources (OER) practitioners and advocates: finding new and sustainable ways to incorporate peer-review into the creation of OER and the incorporation of more student-created content.
“I’m excited to have this opportunity to expand our open education initiatives at Penn State. The librarianship will allow me to address two important areas in need of further exploration by open education practitioners and advocates: finding new and sustainable ways to incorporate peer review into the creation of OER in order to enhance its quality and the inclusion of more student-created content developed in collaboration with faculty,” McGeary said. “In addition to supporting access, affordability and equity for students, open education can provide valuable opportunities for authentic learning in which students use their skills and disciplinary knowledge to contribute to learning resources that will be used by learners at Penn State and beyond.”
Lauren Cooper, digital scholarship librarian at the Center for Black Digital Research, has accepted the Sally W. Kalin Early Career Librarianship for Technological Innovations. Her selected proposal aims to build a community archives project in collaboration with students from underrepresented and marginalized communities as well as Penn State librarian colleagues as a way to engage more students and to enhance students’ sense of belonging at Penn State.
“I’m exhilarated by the affirmation of my ideas and the funding available to implement them. My proposal, ‘Prototyping a Student-Engaged Digital Curation and Community Archiving Program,’ is an opportunity to leverage my community building, ethical stewardship and technical expertise,” Cooper said. “In collaboration with Libraries colleagues, we’ll develop a two-year paid fellowship program that engages Penn State students from underrepresented and marginalized communities in the digital curation lifecycle, technologies and methods. This will culminate in recommendations in how a community archiving and digital training program could be map onto the Libraries’ digital ecosystem and student engagement activities.”
Denise A. Wetzel, science and engineering librarian at the Physical and Mathematical Sciences Library, has accepted the Eric N. and Bonnie S. Prystowsky Early Career Science Libraries Professorship. Her selected proposal aims to expand the current educational and outreach initiatives of the University Libraries’ Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC) and transform the PTRC into a leading resource for Pennsylvania’s science and entrepreneurial community.
“I am thrilled for the opportunity to innovate offerings and services provided through the University Park Patent and Trademark Resource Center,” Wetzel said. “The PTRC is a part of a nationwide network of academic, public and state libraries designated to support the public with trademark and patent assistance through the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This librarianship award will allow for the creation of a more robust online presence, while also supporting outreach to Penn State, libraries and local communities across the Commonwealth.”
These three-year appointments are part of a competitive selection process and are considered an opportunity not widely available among U.S. academic and research library settings. They are listed among the University Libraries’ endowed chairs and distinguished librarian positions.