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Welcome to Falvey: Laurie Ortiz Rivera Joins Research Services and Scholarly Engagement

Photo of Laurie Ortiz-Rivera, Social Science Librarian.

Laurie Ortiz Rivera, Social Science Librarian.


“Librarians want to help students, professors, and researchers. Our profession is service oriented. All questions are necessary, not asking or talking about your questions is the obstacle to resolve.”

Laurie Ortiz Rivera recently joined Research Services and Scholarly Engagement (RSSE) as the Social Science Librarian. RSSE works to “support research, teaching, and learning at Villanova University; enabling the discovery of, access to, and stewardship of a vast array of scholarly resources.” Ortiz Rivera’s first day as Social Sciences Librarian was Monday, July 25. She is the Social Science Liaison Librarian for History, Art History, Education, and Counseling. “My academic background and academic librarian experience provide me with the competencies to work with different disciplines in social sciences and humanities,” says Ortiz Rivera.

Ortiz Rivera was born in Puerto Rico and worked in special and academic libraries in areas such as architecture and education at the University of Puerto Rico until 2022. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Anthropology from the University of Puerto Rico, a master’s degree in Library Science from the University of Puerto Rico, a master’s degree in Management with Specialization in Management of Business (Nonprofit & Public Management) from Cambridge College, and a PhD in Documentation from Carlos III University of Madrid.

The opportunity to develop the information and research skills of academic students led Ortiz Rivera to Falvey Memorial Library. “I knew about Villanova University’s educational offerings and prestigious background, so I searched for job opportunities. Later, I received a notification from one of my job lists, and I discovered the Social Sciences Liaison Librarian position at Falvey Memorial Library. The opportunity fits with my background and my interests.”

She feels her academic librarian experience will help inform her new role. “As a member of the Library’s social sciences team, I participate in a collaborative model of general research support. Among others, I create instructional materials to secure information access for in-person and distance learners in my areas of specialization. I work with a fantastic library team in reference services. We work together to have an interface with stakeholders inside and outside the library to build essential relationships and establish a foundation for successful research support, collection development, and information literacy instruction.”

Ortiz Rivera is looking forward to collaborating with the Villanova University community. “The Social Sciences Liaison Librarian contributes to the development and delivery of strategic, high-quality, virtual and in-person services to advance teaching, learning, research, and scholarship. My work is outreach, information literacy instruction, research support, and collection development in history, art history, education, and counseling. As a subject specialist, I meet with students and faculty to assist them with: Research consultations, information literacy instructions, instructional resources, collection development, library databases, search queries or keyword selection, finding cited sources, citing sources following Chicago style and APA style, literature reviews, locating primary sources, locating secondary sources, and interlibrary loans.”

In her free time, Ortiz Rivera enjoys learning about different cultures. “I like watching international movies based on historical events and documentaries, especially Latin America and the Caribbean. I love to travel and make friends.” She recommends Research within the Disciplines: Foundations for Reference and Library Instruction by Peggy Keeran and others for graduate students looking to add another book to their summer reading list.

Be sure to stop by the Library and say hello! Ortiz Rivera is also meeting students on Zoom. Her office is located in the Learning Commons on the second floor of Falvey Memorial Library in room 229. Telephone: 610-519-3907. Email: laurie.ortizrivera@villanova.edu. To schedule an appointment with Ortiz Rivera, visit her webpage.


Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Memorial Library.



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Nicole Daly Joins Research Services and Scholarly Engagement

Headshot of Nicole Daly, Social Science Librarian.

Nicole Daly, Social Science Librarian.


Nicole Daly joins Research Services and Scholarly Engagement as the Social Science Librarian. Research Services and Scholarly Engagement works to “support research, teaching, and learning at Villanova University; enabling the discovery of, access to, and stewardship of a vast array of scholarly resources.” You may have seen Daly at Falvey’s front desk; she joined the Library staff in 2021, working as the Service Desk Coordinator in Access Services.

Daly earned a BA in Psychology from Arcadia University, a MS in Psychology from Villanova University, and will complete her MLIS degree from San José State University this fall. She also earned an advanced certificate in Digital Assets with a focus in Data Analytics and Data Driven Decision Making from San José State University.

Daly’s first day as Social Science Librarian was Monday, July 11. She is liaison to the communication department, sociology and criminology department, and the College of Professional Studies. “Right now I’m working on collection development for those specific areas; anticipating their needs, making sure they are getting the resources they need from the Library,” said Daly. “When we get into the semester, I’ll be teaching information literacy courses, helping students to develop research skills. I’ll be creating subject guides so patrons can easily find resources, and I will be providing research assistance to those that may need help tracking down resources.”

Collaborating with the Villanova community is an essential part of Daly’s role. “All of it is very interconnected: As I build these relationships with students and faculty, I feel like those relationships will inform what is needed from the Library as far as collections.” Listening to various groups on campus will also assist Daly in ensuring Falvey’s collection reflects all voices. “Learning from the Villanova community, I will work to broaden Falvey’s collection; creating awareness and providing students with the information they need to expand their own knowledge and continue advocating for social change. Building an understanding of the current collection is essential moving forward; understanding if I need to provide context for specific content or edit material to reflect current language or provide content warnings. Thinking ahead but also addressing current material will be an important part of my role as liaison librarian.”

Transitioning from Service Desk Coordinator to Social Science Librarian, Daly feels her experience working in Access Services will help inform her new role. “In Access Services, we are the first to welcome Library patrons. Working with people and physically seeing and speaking with them, those experiences will inform how I approach my new role.” Working together with Falvey’s librarians, Daly was able to see what questions were frequently asked by community members when working at the front desk. She also worked in course reserves, assisting faculty and helping to send requests to Falvey’s librarians to see what items were needed for a particular course. “I’ve learned so much working in Access Services, specifically all of the different pieces (Interlibrary loan, course reserves, etc.) that people sometimes miss because they tend to be more behind the scenes. Having a vast knowledge of the innerworkings of an academic library is a valuable resource.”

A graduate of Villanova University, Daly wants students to know that Falvey librarians are here to help! “As someone who has gone to Villanova and lived that experience I remember thinking “Oh gosh, how do I conduct this research project?” She fondly remembers Falvey librarians coming to her undergraduate classes to provide helpful outreach. “We had wonderful librarians that came to our classes and gave very targeted help for specific projects. It was very enlightening, just showing us that they are available.” Acknowledging that the first year of college can be a challenge, Daly encourages students to reach out to her. “I can do so much more than just find a book. I can help students narrow down resources, determine which resources are valid, and find resources that may be unavailable at Falvey Memorial Library. I can help in so many different ways.”

If you happen to miss Daly at the many orientation fairs this fall, stop by the Library and say hello. She is also meeting students on Zoom. Daly’s office is located in the Learning Commons on the second floor of Falvey Memorial Library in room 225.

Telephone: 610-519-5207. 

Email: .

For more on Daly, check out her “Welcome to Falvey” blog here. Visit her webpage here.


Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Memorial Library.

 

 


 


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Last Modified: August 3, 2022

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