Cindy Bowen
B.A. in English and MLIS, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
Electronic Resources and Instruction Librarian
Trinity Christian College
What are your main duties at your library?
I’m the Alma/Primo whisperer and all-around troubleshooter. I do most of the course instruction, answer reference questions, and monitor the student cataloging while doing occasional cataloging myself.
What do you like best about your job?
I really appreciate how my multiple roles feed into one another—by doing classes and answering questions, I see where things aren’t working and where we need to do a better job of describing the things we have. On the flip side, my familiarity with what we have and how it works helps me better direct students to what they need.
What are you working on now that you’re excited about?
I’m excited that Alma is starting to feel more routine—it’s been fun to learn a whole new system, but it’s really nice to be at a point where I don’t have to think quite so hard about every single thing I’m doing!
Why did you decide to become a librarian?
In my last year of undergrad I was contemplating grad school but had trouble deciding on a program of study. A medical librarian friend suggested library school because she thought it would be a good fit for me. She was right!
What does librarianship mean to you?
For me, libraries are about getting people to resources and vice versa. I interpret ‘resources’ in the broadest possible sense—sometimes it’s a physical thing, sometimes electronic, sometimes it’s a person rather than a thing. My role is to make sure we’re accurately describing what we have available, making the electronic things talk to one another, and then helping our campus community navigate what’s available and use it productively for their needs.
Describe yourself in three words.
Curious creative generalist
What are you reading, watching, or listening to right now?
Fiction-wise, I’m reading The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith and it is fun so far. On the non-fiction side, I’ve recently started Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez and Caste: The Origins of our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson. The first two were recommended by friends, the third is for a campus book group. (The increase of screen-time due to so many things being online has me seeking offline activities, so my reading has really picked up!)
What are your hobbies?
Reading, cross-stitch, writing fanfiction, bothering my cats, and, more recently, experimenting with my new air fryer. Also walking and biking when the weather allows.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
My first library job wasn’t until after I finished my master’s degree! During college, I worked for the campus IT Help Desk. There were a lot of similarities to reference work and the troubleshooting skills I learned have served me well.
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