Robert is the Head Librarian at Arizona Christian University in Glendale, AZ (946 FTE). Robert has been an ACL member since 2021.
Describe yourself using a book title: Rediscovering the Church Fathers: Who They Were and How They Shaped the Church or Body Piercing Saved My Life: Inside the Phenomenon of Christian Rock.
What’s the best thing about being a librarian? I love meeting patrons’ needs. Finding the exact item that someone needed is so satisfying.
What are you currently reading? My Goodreads list is lengthy, but I am making progress in The Forgotten Trinity by James White, I Know What to Do, So Why Don’t I Do It? by Nick Hall, Joy for the World by Greg Forster, Punk Avenue by Phil Marcade, and The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music by Mark Allan Powell. I just finished The Expositor’s Bible Commentary (rev. ed.) on Judges and Ruth.
Describe ACL in three words: Helpful, valuable, community
How do you (or How have you), as an academic librarian, contribute to your campus? I handle most aspects of academic librarianship: management, planning, reference, information literacy instruction, collection development, cataloging, ILL, marketing and outreach, scholarly communication, copyright, and so on. I also contribute to accreditation efforts and serve as the IRB Chair and a member of our Research Quality Review Board.
My professional career began… as a volunteer at the Phoenix Seminary Library in 2009. Doug Olbert, Jim Santeford, and Mitch Miller taught me the systems that I use today and gave me a wide range of experience, supplementing and allowing me to apply what I was learning in library school. This opportunity paved the way for my library technician position at GateWay Community College in Phoenix and my librarian-level positions at Arizona Christian University.
What do you value about ACL? I value the networking and support from ACL members. I feel more connected to ACL than to any other professional organization.
How were you introduced to ACL? I first heard about ACL from a fellow library school student who was working at San Diego Christian College at the time (around 2011). But Anita Gray (formerly at Huntington University) strongly encouraged me to join in 2021. I wish I had joined sooner!
How are you or have you been involved in ACL? I actively participate in ACL listservs, the Management and Supervision Interest Group, the Current Library Directors Interest Group, the Information Literacy Interest Group, and the Liberal Arts Section. I did a virtual poster session for the 2022 annual conference; and I will be doing a workshop for the 2023 virtual conference.
Do you have any specific interests in the library world? I enjoy leadership, management, marketing and outreach, reference and information services, and cataloging. I like to add new items to our library, create library memes and book review posts for our Instagram account, help people with research, and dig into usage statistics to assess the success of my efforts.