Faculty and Staff | Glocal Notes | Page 5 - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

This is the first post in a new series that will help you get to know the faculty and staff at the International and Area Studies Library (IASL). The IAS library welcomes Lisa Renee Kemplin as the new office manager staring this 2013 fall semester. Lisa Renee first considered libraries as a career choice when she worked in circulation at the Champaign Public Library; she enrolled in the Graduate School for Library and Information Science and obtained her Masters in Library Science in 2011.

“I full heartedly believe in the mission of public libraries and the role they play culturally and socially as places of information, education, and recreation” – Lisa Renee Kemplin

What brings you to the International and Area Studies library? What are you most excited about working on here? I was ready for new challenges and opportunities. I am excited to work with so many colleagues from other cultures and areas of interest.

Please describe a cool resource at the IAS that you want everyone to know about! I am new to IASL so am still learning about all of our wonderful resources. I was not aware that IASL had the Bookeye scanner and know that this is an excellent resource for researchers. We also are unique in having so many area subject specialists. You can access some more information by visiting our website: http://www.library.illinois.edu/ias/

What are some of your proudest accomplishments as a librarian, or other career that you’ve held? I think in all my careers it comes down to the one-on-one interactions, whether it be a colleague or patron. Sometimes it is the everyday exchanges that can be so rich and rewarding.

Do you have any career advice for someone interested in the kind of work that you do? Seek out what you are passionate about and be open to new experiences. I think having a broad base is useful.

How does your MSW inform your current work as a librarian? Although my career in counseling was not initially part of the plan to go to library school, I can see so many similarities in each of the fields. I believe our experiences and training inform all of our endeavors. At the heart of both SW and LIS is connecting people to resources.

Favorite thing to do in the C-U area: One of my favorite things to do is go to the Farmer’s Market Saturday mornings at Lincoln Square. I’m there rain or shine. Even if I’m going out of town and can’t really make produce purchases, I will stop by. I love the atmosphere and sense of community.

Favorite Place Visited: Two years ago I took my first trip to Paris. I fell in love with that city — I say first trip because I hope to return.

Favorite Quote: I don’t really have a favorite quote but will share this one from Ram Dass: “We’re all just walking each other home.” This is a poem that I also like:

Lost – David Wagoner

Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.

Hidden talent: Well now, it wouldn’t be hidden if I shared it, would it?

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Laila Hussein

Laila Hussein comes to the University of Illinois Library after working as a cataloger and Reference Librarian at New York University. Prior to that, she was a human rights activist in Egypt , and worked in the United States with Landmine Survivor Networks, International Torture Survivors, and did outreach to the HIV positive community in New York. She holds two Masters degrees, the first from New York University in Near Eastern Studies, and the second is from Long Island University in Library Science. Laila brings to the International and Area Studies library lots of great experience in both libraries and international outreach!

As the Middle Eastern and North African Studies Librarian, Laila is looking forward to working with Illinois’ community of faculty, staff, students and scholars to help build the Library’s Middle Eastern collection. She also hopes to help students with their research needs by working with instructors to develop tailored library guides for classes. Her plan also included to work with other universities in the United States and around the globes to develop relationships that will benefit the scholars in the field of the Middle East and North Africa Studies, Laila’s dream project is to develop the Middle Eastern and North Africa minorities collections and have Illinois University become the main resource for these types of collections to both international and local scholars. She has also recently developed a new LibGuide on the Arab Spring, concurrent with her display in the Marshall Gallery (the open area on the first floor of the Library) on this important topic. Be sure to check them both out!

Laila is a native Arabic speaker, and she is also proficient in Persian, Hebrew, Old Ottoman, and German. In her free time, Laila enjoys exercising and listening to audio books.

Her office hours this semester are Tuesdays 10:00am – 12:00pm and Fridays 11:30am – 1:30pm, and you may also reach her by email at lhoussei AT illinois.edu.

Antonio Sotomayor

Antonio Sotomayor is originally from Puerto Rico, and completed his undergraduate education at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez before coming to the United States for graduate school. He holds a Masters’ degree in Counseling from Indiana University, another Masters’ degree in Latin America and Caribbean Studies from the University of Illinois, and a Doctorate in history from the University of Chicago. His research interests lie in Latin American studies and Brazilian cultural and political history and the history of sport, which brings him here to work at the International and Area Studies Library.

As a new librarian, Antonio has been evaluating the breadth of our library’s existing Latin American collection, which is among the top five in the United States. Our collection’s specialties are Andes, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, and Caribbean Area materials. Antonio believes his primary goal as the Latin American Librarian is to promote and continue developing our Latin American collection. He plans to improve the collection’s online presence by redesigning the Latin American and Caribbean website, and by digitizing some materials for online access. He is also reorganizing our current journals and magazines for better access and easy browsing in the IAS reference room.

Antonio seeks to connect with to departments that have Latin America related research around the University to promote our collection and services. Right now he is working closely with the Center of Latin America & Caribbean Studies, and the Lemann Institute for Braziian Studies. Antonio is also the co-planner on an exhibit in the library for this coming fall which will promote the 50^th anniversary of the Center for Latin America and Caribbean Studies.

Antonio is a native Spanish speaker, and is proficient in Portuguese. In his free time, he enjoys genealogy, watching football and other sports, and both playing and watching basketball. He is also a photographer, and his photographs have been presented in different exhibits.

His office hours this semester are Monday and Tuesdays 9-11am, and you can visit his library web page.

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Glocal Notes

from the International and Area Studies Library

Category Archives: Faculty and Staff

IAS Library Faculty Profiles: Introducing Lisa Renee Kemplin

Introducing New Librarians: Laila Hussein and Antonio Sotomayor