We at the JKM Library know how difficult COVID-19 has been on our Chatham community. Many of us have never had the opportunity to meet, when in normal circumstances there would have been plenty of moments for librarians and library staff to meet you, help you personally, and put faces to names. Now that we are mostly back on campus, and some faces are being revealed, we decided to put together a fun “Staff Picks” book display and Spotify playlist to help you get to know us a bit better!
Stop into the JKM Library in March to browse our physical book display showing off some of the library staff’s favorite books from our collection, and visit our Spotify account to listen to a playlist of some of our favorite songs. We have a broad range of tastes, and we’re always delighted to talk to you about books, music and more! If you’d like to get in contact with one of the librarians, you can find our emails on our Staff Directory page of our website. All books included in the display are available for you to checkout and read yourself. Perhaps you’ll discover a new personal favorite.
Keep reading to learn more about your library staff, our areas of academic expertise (that we’re more than happy to help you in), fun facts and interesting hobbies about each of us, and then the book and song we each picked!
Jill Ausel
- Job title: Library Director
- Favorite part of job: I really enjoy my job, and the best part is helping students and making the library a place of learning and fun.
- A fun fact: I’m an Ancient Greek History nerd!
- My book pick: The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women Across the Ancient World by Adrienne Mayor
- My song pick: “In These Shoes?” by Kristy MacColl
Kate Wenger
- Job title: Head of Access Service
- Liaison areas: Accounting, Business, Economics, Criminology, Psychology, Social Work
- Favorite part of job: Working with students, including our wonderful student workers!
- An interesting hobby: I enjoy vegetable gardening, and I love the snow and am excited to use my new cross-country skis again soon!
- My book pick: Think Again by Adam Grant
- My song pick: “That Was a Crazy Game of Poker” by O.A.R.
Dana Mastroianni
- Job title: Head of Public Services
- Liaison areas: Health Sciences, Art & Design, Communication
- Favorite part of job: Being a practical help to students. Helping them discover, think and rethink, and successfully fulfill their information needs. And my fellow librarians are pretty awesome 😊
- An interesting skill: My car karaoke skills are on point.
- My book pick: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
- My song pick: “Where the Streets Have No Name” by U2
Daniel Lincoln Nolting
- Job title: Head of Technical Services
- Specialty areas: Data and materials management.
- Favorite part of job: Stickers! Putting call numbers on books! Never gets old…
- An interesting skill: Along with an MFA in painting, while in NYC, I also learned an old Japanese woodcut method.
- My book pick: These Truths: A History of the United States by Jill Lepore
- My song pick: “Keep It Comin’ Love” by KC & The Sunshine Band
Molly Tighe
- Job title: Archivist & Public Services Librarian
- Academic expertise: Archives, preservation, and museums
- Liaison areas: History, Political Science, Policy Studies, Bio, Chem, Math, Physics
- Favorite part of job: Sharing and discovering (or helping others discover) Chatham history and how it informs campus activities today.
- An interesting hobby: I sew my clothes! While I still wear a fair bit of ready-to-wear, I try to include a me-made in every outfit.
- My book pick: Ramp Hollow: The Ordeal of Appalachia by Steven Stoll
- My song pick: “Jolie Holland” by All the Morning Birds
Jocelyn Codner
- Job title: Reference & Outreach Librarian
- Liaison areas: Food Studies, Sustainability, Environmental Science, Education, English, Creative Writing/MFA
- Favorite part of job: Working one-on-one with students!
- An interesting skill: I play Irish flute.
- A fun fact: I used to DJ my high school dances.
- My book pick: The Diviners by Libba Bray
- My song pick: “No Quiero Saber” by Selena
Carina Stopenski
- Job title: Access Services Associate
- Academic expertise: Gender and cultural studies, media studies, comics
- Favorite part of job: Getting to see all the interesting titles that patrons request!
- A fun fact: I love to collect natural curios, like rocks, herbs, crystals, and resins!
- My book pick: Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
- My song pick: “Calamity Song” by The Decemberists
Jennifer Langilotti
- Job title: Technical Services Assistant
- Favorite part of job: Learning from more experienced librarians.
- A fun fact: Good at Tetris!
- My book pick: A Lost Lady by Willa Cather
- My song pick: “Dennis Quaid” by Taylor Janzen
Alley Lindner
- Job title: Reference Associate
- Specialty areas: English Literature with a focus in Queer Theory
- Other areas of interest: Juicy pop culture takes!
- Favorite part of job: I love working with students–helping with research, talking through book recommendations, etc.
- A fun fact: I was named after my grandmother’s three-legged dog.
- My book pick: Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson
- My song pick: “Motion Sickness” by Phoebe Bridgers
Chelsea Gabrielson
- Job title: Reference Associate
- Specialty areas: Health Sciences and Children’s Literature
- Favorite part of job: I love when I can help students with research!
- A fun fact: I once did a 185-mile bicycle ride down the coast of Oregon.
- My book pick: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
- My song pick: “Dark Red” by Steve Lacy
Amy Melnyk
- Job title: Reference Associate
- Specialty areas: Social Sciences
- Favorite part of job: Definitely helping students!
- A fun fact: I have 51 tabs currently open.
- My book pick: Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong
- My song pick: “Family Affair” by Mary J. Blige
Jackson Adkins
- Job title: Access Services Aide
- Major: Management Information Systems, Data Science minor
- Favorite task at the JKM Library: Getting journals and scanning them from the basement!
- A hobby: I have been snowboarding for 12 years.
- An interesting skill: I can clap with one hand!
- My book pick: Kaffir Boy: The True Story of a Black Youth’s Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa by Mark Mathabane
- My song pick: “Footsteps in the Dark” by The Isley Brothers
Trai BreenLusen
- Job title: Access Services Aide
- Major: English, Creative Writing and Studio Arts minors
- Area of academic interest: Animation
- Favorite task at the JKM Library: Pulling books for EZ Borrow and packing mail.
- Something interesting about me: I’m an artist hoping to start my own business.
- My book pick: The Hobbit: There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkin
- My song pick: “Hey Look Ma, I Made It” by Panic! At The Disco
Riley Hurst Brubaker
- Job title: Access Services Aide
- Major: Journalism and Film
- Favorite task at the JKM Library: Shelving and interacting with staff and fellow students.
- An interesting skill: Arranging flower bouquets.
- My book pick: A Black Women’s History of the United States by Daina Ramey anf Kali Nicole Gross
- My song pick: “Highway Unicorn” by The Highwomen
Leyla Fevola
- Job title: Access Services Aide
- Major: Mathmatics and Secondary Education
- Favorite task at the JKM Library: I love helping and creating projects with other staff members!
- Something interesting about me: I am a dual citizen, I am a citizen of the USA and Italy!
- My book pick: Beautiful Boy by David Sheff
- My song pick: “All For Us” by Labrinth and Zendaya
Becca Pennington
- Job title: Access Services Aide
- Major: Exercise Science
- Favorite task at the JKM Library: Stack searches (searching for missing books)
- A hobby of mine: I run cross country and track
- My book pick: Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
- My song pick: “Runaway” by Linkin Park
Jolie Phan
- Job title: Access Services Aide
- Major: Human Biology
- Favorite task at the JKM Library: Checking books in and out to patrons
- A hobby of mine: I love playing the piano and violin
- My book pick: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
- My song pick: “Heroes” by David Bowie
Stephanie Spano
- Job title: Access Services Aide
- Major: Cell and Molecular Biology
- Area of Academic Interest: Genetics
- Favorite task at the JKM Library: Stack searches (searching for missing books) or helping patrons at the desk!
- A fun fact about me: I’ve been to 25 out of 50 states in the US!
- My book pick: Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
- My song pick: “Oh My God” by Adele
Julia Windsheimer
- Job title: Access Services Aide
- Major: Interior Architecture, Music minor
- Favorite task at the JKM Library: Shelving books
- A hobby of mine: I like playing the flute
- My book pick: The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
- My song pick: “Rock and Roll” by The Velvet Underground
Savannah Wood
- Job title: Access Services Aide
- Major: Psychology
- Favorite task at the JKM Library: Doing inventory
- An interesting skill of mine: I can twirl batons and was the majorette captain at my high school.
- My book pick: Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
- My song pick: “Thelma + Louise” by Bastille