Miami, Florida, United States
Specialties: Modern Poetry, Speculative Poetry, 19th Century English Literature
Provide Reference service to library patrons in-person, via email. phone, live chat/IM connection, SMS/Text connection, and Zoom in Spanish and English. Provide Bibliographic Instruction to students and patrons. Perform collection development in the areas of English Literature, Popular fiction, Vernacular Languages, Graphic novels and Curriculum/Juvenile collection, both electronic and print. Trained librarians and staff in use of 24/7 live chat system during original implementation. Regularly create themed books displays: e.g. Banned Books, Halloween, Black History Month. Create Research Guides (Libguides) for various research subjects and events: National Poetry Month, Banned Books, Poetry Criticism, Florida Fiction, Shakespearean Research, Summer Reading, among others. Train and supervise department volunteers and student assistants. Mentor student interns.
Responsible for operations in Microforms room; hired, trained and supervised 8-10 student assistants, maintained microfilm reader/printers, provided assistance and instruction to patrons, provided Reference assistance at Reference desk, provided Bibliographic Instruction to students.
Experienced in every aspect of Circulation operations: charging out, patron record maintenance, reserves, searching, interlibrary loan. Hired, trained and scheduled up to 16 student assistants to work at two library service points.
Author of three poetry collections: Simultaneous States (Bainbridge Island Press, 2025), The Ocean Between Us (Backbone Press, 2017), and Shining from a Different Firmament (Finishing Line Press, 2015.) Publishing in poetry journals and winning awards consistently over the past few years. Nominated for Pushcart Prize in Poetry 2014, 2017 and 2020. Studied under poet Andrea Hollander 2011-2014, individual tutorials. Attended two writing workshops taught by FIU professor and poet Campbell McGrath. Audited two classes taught by Presidential Inaugural poet Richard Blanco, Fall 2021 and Spring 2020. Audited The Library of Borges, a graduate class taught by FIU professor Rhona Trauvitch in 2024.
Review professional publications for peer-reviewed journal.
Write blog posts reviewing books about personal finance and frugality. Most recent review: Pound Foolish: Exposing the Dark Side of the Personal Finance Industry by Helaine Olen