History was a major factor in the many things that drew me to this residency and this region. With ancestral ties to Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia, coming to South Carolina felt like an opportunity to connect with and better understand Southeastern Black history.
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Having previously worked at the Black Archives of Mid-America in Kansas City and on the historic land where the Story Center at Mid-Continent Public Library now stands, I was already familiar with what it means to engage with complicated histories. So when I accepted my position at Clemson University, I knew I would have to confront its own history—one rooted in the legacy of plantations and the forced labor of enslaved people. I took this reality seriously, and one of the standout moments of my interview was the Special Collections & Archives team’s transparency about Clemson’s history. Their honesty surprised me, but it also made me want to investigate further.

Stepping Into the Past: Visiting Clemson’s Plantation Houses
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The South is one of those places where you rarely have to second-guess where people stand on things—they’ll tell you outright. Similarly, there are places where you just know you may not be entirely welcome.

For many black folks, those places are plantation houses. At Clemson,  Fort Hill, The Hanover House, and Hopewell are houses that most Black folks avoid entirely. I like to experience history, and I was curious to see the houses and how the histories were presented.

I visited all three in a single day.

​Walking into those spaces, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of history pressing down on me. The air was thick with stories, both spoken and unspoken. The structures, the artifacts, even the layout of the homes—they all carried traces of a past where Black lives were treated as property, where labor was stolen, and where entire generations endured unimaginable hardships.

It was fascinating to hear the history, to step into these preserved moments in time, and to observe how these narratives were being presented and cared for. But I won’t romanticize it—it was emotionally exhausting. Holding an artifact that black children were forced to use to pound for hours on end almost made me sick to my stomach. Engaging with history intimately, especially when it involves the suffering and resilience of people who could have been my ancestors, takes a toll.

When I left the last site, I was drained. I needed to practice self-care—to sit with what I had just experienced, process, and breathe.

Residencies are an unusual concept for many people—especially in libraries. When I try explaining my position to friends in other fields, they often exclaim, "Oh, like a doctor residency!" Honestly, that’s the best comparison. A library residency provides on-the-ground experience, but it also includes rotations through various departments before choosing a focus area. For someone like me, with such varied interests, narrowing it down was no small feat. In the end, I chose to immerse myself in two departments, and after a year and a half in this residency, I’ve come to some key realizations.
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Reality #1: It’s a Time-Limited Position
When I signed up for this residency, I knew it wasn’t permanent. That’s the nature of residencies—they’re designed to be temporary learning experiences. But knowing that hasn’t made me less invested. From day one, I’ve thrown myself fully into this program.
Still, seeing the resident before me navigate her final six months has been eye-opening. It’s helped me clarify what I’m looking for as I approach the next stage of my career: a role with more permanence. Grad school opened my eyes to the possibilities in librarianship beyond youth services and nonprofit work, which is how I found myself moving from institution to institution, discovering what I truly wanted to do.

Reality #2: I Thrive on Collaboration and Variety
The two departments I chose for my residency—Teaching, Learning, & Research (TLR) and Special Collections & Archives (SCA)—speak to my wide-ranging interests. TLR has allowed me to teach, provide reference services, and focus on research, while SCA has given me hands-on experience with archives. In SCA, I’ve worked on processing collections, editing podcasts, and leading oral history projects—all while continuing to teach and collaborate with colleagues.
The common thread in both departments is clear: I love working with people while also leading my own projects. Collaboration energizes me, but having ownership over my work is equally rewarding. Balancing these two aspects has made this residency incredibly fulfilling.

Reality #3: Academia and Public Service Can Go Hand in Hand
One unexpected but welcome aspect of my residency has been working at a public institution. As a faculty member, my work is deeply rooted in academia, but there’s also a strong connection to the community. This duality has been a pleasant surprise, and it’s helped me realize that I value roles with strong ties to public service. Whether it’s through outreach, programming, or partnerships, I want my work to extend beyond campus and make a meaningful impact on the community.

Looking Ahead
Choosing this residency was one of the best decisions I’ve made. I came into it with the goal of growing as a librarian, researcher, educator, archivist, and storyteller, and I’ve been able to develop in all of these areas. The structure of a residency inevitably includes preparing for the next step—seeking employment. As I begin this search, I’m not looking for just any job. I’m looking for a role where I can see myself thriving for the foreseeable future—a place where I can continue to grow, collaborate, and make an impact.
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The future feels exciting and full of possibility. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Happy 2024! Reflecting on a Year of Growth
The start of a new year is the perfect time for reflection, and I’ve been thinking a lot about my journey from public librarian to academic library faculty member. It’s been a fantastic ride—challenging in all the right ways, yet smooth enough to remind me that I’m in the right place. Clemson Libraries has been the perfect environment for me to learn, grow, and thrive.
In the spirit of transparency, I want to share some recent news: I didn’t land the Emerging Technologies Librarian & Director of Adobe Studios & Makerspace position. I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, I feel a sense of relief because I’ve realized how much I enjoy my liaison and archival work—it’s a great fit for my skills and passions. On the other hand, I can’t deny a bit of disappointment because I’ve grown quite fond of Adobe Studios & Makerspace and the creative energy it fosters.
Still, the experience of applying and investing in that role has solidified something important for me: I’m fully committed to making my time at Clemson Libraries as impactful as it can be.

Wrapping Up Collections & Discovery
December marked my final month in the Collections & Discovery Division, where I worked with the Continuing Resources & Government Information Management team. It’s been an incredible rotation, full of opportunities to dig into workflows and learn from dedicated professionals who are passionate about their work.
Next up? My final rotation with Administration. I’m looking forward to gaining a deeper understanding of how leadership and organizational strategy come together to shape the library’s mission and services.

Winter in South Carolina: A Pleasant Surprise
Moving for work often means rolling the dice on your new home’s year-round charm. You usually get acquainted with a city in just one season, and for me, that season was summer. But Clemson, South Carolina, has proven to be delightful in every season. Winter here? Mild and lovely, with just enough crispness to remind you it’s the holidays.
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One thing that’s immediately clear about Clemson: there’s no shortage of school pride. Orange and purple reign supreme, painting the town and its people with unmistakable Tiger spirit. As a proud University of Tennessee alum (go Vols!), I respect this level of devotion—it’s infectious. Clemson truly is the heartbeat of the Upstate.

Winding Down and Revving Up
As the semester winds down, my rotation through the Collections & Discovery Department has been an enlightening experience. I’ve been diving deeper into Adobe projects, sharpening my skills, and making progress on my application for the Emerging Technologies Librarian & Director of the Adobe Studio and Makerspace position. Fingers crossed!
A standout moment this month? Attending the Inclusive and Ethical AI for Academic Libraries workshop. Discussions around the role of AI in research and library spaces are sparking new ideas for my own research. The intersection of AI and libraries is such an exciting frontier—I can’t wait to see where it takes us.

Rotation Highlights
This month, I explored Clemson Libraries’ Digitization Services and the Metadata Team, and let me tell you, the enthusiasm in these departments is absolutely contagious. Learning about the digitization workflows and seeing how metadata breathes life into collections was fascinating. These teams are small but mighty, and their passion for their work is inspiring.

Adobe Adventures
The Adobe Studio has been buzzing with creativity this month. Students are flocking to the space to make gifts for friends and family. I’ve been working alongside them, watching one intern craft personalized gifts with the laser machine in Watt, and joining a few students as they mastered the embroidery machine. It’s heartwarming to see the space being used and their comradery.
On the professional side, I’ve had the chance to bring new faculty into the studio, giving them tours of the audio and video rooms while explaining how their students can use these resources for assignments. Many of these faculty members were people I met during orientation, so it was rewarding to connect them with their liaison librarians. A personal highlight? Giving a tour to the Clemson African American Museum team as they gear up for an oral histories project.

Projects Galore
Between rotations, Adobe work, and holiday prep, my plate has been full. I’m collaborating with colleagues on an Affrilachia project, laying the groundwork for a Reparative Archives initiative, and tackling my own research and writing. My article submission deadline for Theatre Journal looms large, but the thrill of contributing to scholarship keeps me motivated.

On Another Note
As we get ready for our holiday break, I can say Clemson Libraries knows how to throw a shindig. We feasted, laughed, and watched Home Alone. After three long years I finally get to go home to Tennessee. Happy Holidays!

This month I have developed a workflow that has me feeling productive and hopeful. This month's highlights are shadowing at Tri-County Community College (TCTC), beginning my rotation with Collections & Discovery, and GIS Day. This month has really made me see the possibilities ahead of me.

I kicked off this month by attending the Commission on the Black Experience (CBE) meeting and it's great to hear what is happening on campus that I might not know about. I also was able to attend the last eResources Librarian presentation/interview and it was pretty interesting hearing what that librarian in particular does. I also attended the Science/ CAFLS Librarian presentation and interview but had already worked a bit with that candidate so I was familiar with her work. These interviews have given me so much insight into the different roles and how people approach their work.​

Collections & Discovery Rotation
This rotation started with the Collections & Acquisitions. I got to spend the day sitting with folks in this department. It started with Acquisition Workflows and them learned more about Alma & Analytics. I will say that I am just learning Alma. The public library systems I've been in have all used BiblioCommons as their catalog and Symphony as their integrated library system. Clemson University is a state school which means that all public institutions have the same integrated library system. At the end of the day I met with the E-Resources team to learn about what they do. Overall, it was a great start to this rotation.

GIS DAY 2023
GIS is Geographic Information System. I didn't know much about GIS before coming to Clemson but this day is specifically designed to celebrate the work done by faculty, researchers, and GIS professionals. It was a fun and engaging time that made me excited for how GIS can be used not only for research but as a part of libraries, special collections, and archives. I found myself in conversations on how some spaces have used AR to create virtual spaces for special exhibits. Now it is a goal of mine to earn my GIS certificate so I can use it for some of my library work.

 Adobe Update
I've been working on getting familiar with the Adobe space this month and getting to know the interns. It has been fun talking about AI and some of the tools with the interns and finding out what they like about the space as well as what they think can be improved upon.

Here's a peek inside the library world. As I mentioned in my last reflection I have begun my rotations. This month is my rotation through the Teaching, Learning, and Research departments. This department is one that I am most familiar with and have really been looking forward to. Other than my rotation I have also been attending webinars and working on the service portion of my residency. I also rounded my month off by visiting our bridge partners at Tri-County Community College. Overall, it's been a great month.

​Each week of this month I would focus on a different division of the Teaching, Learning, and Research department. I began with User Services which is honestly one of my favorite divisions from my public library experience. Thinking about user needs and doing customer service is one of the reasons I've really enjoyed librarianship. Then I visited the University Press which was another great department to chat with since my last position was managing an imprint. I thoroughly enjoyed the conversations I was able to have about open access and journals, but also about how the University Press works with authors and deals with submissions. It was fascinating and I can't wait to work with them a bit more on projects. Then I made my way to Teaching & Learning where I was able to have a jam-packed day of learning more about the special subject librarians. I loved being able to sit with so many different librarians with similar and not-so-similar pathways as mine. Though I started off thinking I wanted to focus on Young Adult Services I knew it was because as a Teen Librarian, I had one focus. Being a special subject librarian in an academic space may be a tad different from the research and service expectations but ultimately it is the same work that I know and love to do. The rotation ended with a discussion and look at open education which is another pathway I hadn't really looked at before but there are some surprising crossovers with my skillsets and interests that I found really interesting and engaging. Ultimately, this entire rotation has reaffirmed the aspects of librarianship that I like the most.

One thing I appreciate about many of my workspaces is their support of professional development. Technically all of the libraries that I've worked at have really been affirming in letting employees develop professionally. If not the entire institution then my supervisors have been. That said this month I've gone to an Archive webinar and also attended some faculty interviews/presentations. It has been informative. 

Lastly, I am big on service, to be honest. I typically dive into service opportunities and sometimes tend to over-extend. However, since the pandemic, I've learned to only commit within my capacity. That said I've been able to be a preliminary judge of a 3 minute thesis competition which was a lot of fun. I felt like I learned a lot on topics I am not a expert in. I also have been selected to be a reviewer/moderator for the Conference of Academic Library Management 2024 which is exciting and something new for me. Also I've joined the Social Media & Communications team for the Resident Interest Group of ACRL which is really exciting. I love being on Social Media teams. 

As you can see, this has been a full month and I've enjoyed being here so far. The other things that I've not mentioned but should lightly be noted on is that libraries face turmoil in the most unexpected ways so that can be frustrating and disappointing. I can say that it bolsters my commitment to library work no matter how political the world gets. I also had to submit my reappointment paperwork for Year 2 of my residency. There was a nervous energy everyone had about this that didn't hit me until I submitted my paperwork. Academia is strange in this way where things are formalized but if I had to compare it to something I guess I compare it to annual reviews in public library spaces. I always am a big believer that my work is proof enough so I have nothing to be nervous about. In this space though I realized I am more nervous about not doing the paperwork right than I am about anything else. However, we'll see what happens. Until next time.

The best part about working in libraries is no two days look the same. When it comes to library work there's the agenda you create and then there's what happens daily throughout the day. My adaptability in these situations makes the day go smoothly. This month has been about me getting familiar with structuring my own days, exploring research, and sinking into working at a university. Let's look at some of the things I've been able to accomplish or encounter this month.

Fortunately, my previous position had days that I had to structure myself and I know there is a learning curve for how to fine-tune my time. It takes about a year to establish a good routine so I know to offer myself grace and freedom to not get it perfect every day. Some days it's just enough that my checklist is completed. Creating bite-sized goals makes for better morale. I love time management tools like planners, Trello, and digital calendars to help me throughout the day. I am excited to see how my schedule develops once my rotations are over but with the way they are being scheduled, I think I'll be able to do some interesting things with my days.

Speaking of rotations, I officially started rotating through the Organizational, Performance, and Inclusion Department. It's okay if you don't necessarily know what that means because I know I didn't. Basically, it's the department that ensures the structure of the library is in place. By this I mean Marketing, Digital Strategies, Learning Environments, Facilities, Strategic Planning, EDI, and a few other things. This is also my home department for the time being. Once my rotations are over I'll choose a new home department (possibly) and then I'll choose a project to focus on. Another thing I got to do was shadow the Science Librarian while she tabled a First Year Success event. I love outreach. Tabling events has always been another favorite about librarianship so it was nice to see a liaison librarian doing it right on campus. I also began to wonder if Clemson Libraries tabled events in the community or any surrounding areas but something tells me that's not something I'll see around here. However, maybe that's something that can be created. We'll see. 

This month has also been about getting familiar with the university, campus, and meeting structures. I've been able to attend our faculty meetings, and commission meetings for women & the black experience, and I've submitted to volunteer at a conference as a reviewer. These meetings always have an air of formality. I've been in a lot of these formal types of meetings from being an artist no less. Artists often sit on councils and if you're a social commentary poet like myself who is passionate about EDI initiatives you might just end up in meetings with politicians or community government meetings. Universities have a similar structure of formality. Also now that I'm in the residency I get to participate in the Diversity Resident Experience group where we meet monthly and talk about our experiences as well as do some professional development activities. I applied to work on one of the Residency Interest Group teams so we'll see if I got that.

Attending online workshops or presentations has always been exciting to me and is another thing that I get to do in my library work. I have a few topics of interest. Some things I've been paying attention to are AI and archival work. These are two parts of librarianship that have some interesting growth happening as well as emerging technologies within library spaces. So this month I attended Community-Driven Archives & Libraries in the Age of AI which was pretty great and informative. I love to see the developments that are taking place.

Lastly, I've begun to start thinking about my goals for the year and what those will look like. Its been a great month overall. I've been walking around campus to learn the lay of the land, trying to navigate where to park, and finding my own routines. Another highlight is being able to get to know my colleagues. I look forward to seeing what the next month brings.

The library is buzzing with life once more and I’m getting to see it for the first time. As promised students have spilled onto every floor. It’s impressive to see. The most action my undergrad library got was during exam times, but it also wasn’t nearly as inviting as Cooper Library. Thankfully libraries are changing their very old ways and for a building that was built in 1966, the library is thriving. I am finally preparing to start my rotations. August was filled with tours, introductions, and me wrapping my head around this residency as well as what I want to get out of this experience. I've settled into my cubicle (plants and all) and am ready to go.

In anticipation of this week, I met with the Library Resident Committee and the different divisions. There are four divisions that I’ll be doing rotations in for the next several months. This meeting was an opportunity for me to meet with the different division heads before my rotations began. It was a tad underwhelming because most of the divisions I had information on and had met with prior to this. I definitely feel this should’ve been done during my first week or closer to the start of my time here. The semester is underway but I feel as if I’m just getting cranked in. I can already tell which two divisions will be my favorite and honestly which department I fit best in. I had ideas of what I wanted to do in academic libraries before I got here and now that I’m here I am noticing just how much my instincts were right.

Since the beginning of time, I've known that special subjects and collections would be my areas of expertise. Something in the fray and not isolated. I’m an extrovert. The little Mermaid sang, 🎶I want to be where the people are 🎶 and I knew when I toured during my interview that I too wanted to be in the hub. One thing no one tells you going into libraries is that most folks are introverts, especially librarians. Though we're less commonplace, extroverts in libraries do exist. One thing that has surprised me about academia so far is that everyone asks, “What’s your specialty?” In public libraries folks mostly care about your department and maybe your title. While academia is separated by whether you're staff or faculty. This residency is a faculty position so the next breakdown is whether you're temporary, entry, assistant, or tenure faculty. When it comes to specialties I have been delighted to discover most folks have two or more areas of specialty. I fit right into this world, a lot smoother than I thought I would. Juggling the plates of my interest with the best of them.

That’s why we’re here. To explore our interest. We’ll see if these rotations open me up to avenues I haven’t considered yet. I did get a thing or two out of the presentations by one department that I hadn’t really heard from yet Overall, this week has definitely felt like preparation. We are ready for lift off!

Highlights of the Week: 
-Hung out with a Liasion Librarian to table a Diversity Event
-Went to a workshop on Libraries in the Age of AI & Community Driven Archives

Laters!  

     I officially accepted a position as the Library Resident at Clemson University. This is one of those rare moments in life where my worlds collide. The artist, the librarian, and the techie all get to exist in the same stratosphere. At least that’s what I will be focusing on for this residency, merging my interest and hopefully walking away with a clearer path in librarianship. 

 What is a librarian resident? So happy you asked! It is typically a temporary faculty position at a academic library that allows persons of diverse backgrounds to explore different departments. Some libraries might call it a diversity fellow or something similar. It is typically for recent graduates from a MLIS or MSIS (in my case). Or a librarian wanting to transition into academic libraries. Both of those descriptions fit me!
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     Leaving public libraries was a tough decision. In grad school my professors inspired me to push further and really examine what it is that I want to do within libraries. I quickly reached my goal of being a teen librarian and my goal of being a manager in a public library. While administration is the next logical step in public libraries I wanted to step back into the world of academia. The changes being made with technology, research, and special subjects pulled at the academic in me. Also, my ideas on research for projects in the African Diaspora, theatre, and information have just been sitting on the back burner. This is a great opportunity to take a giant step back into that.
     
     As a black woman in this career I’ve been faced with the reality that most of the time I will be the minority in the room. I might be the only black woman in my department, in leadership, in the room but I take it with stride. A few months ago in a DEI council meeting we were going over identities and it became alarmingly apparent to me that some public spaces don’t consider minorities in their planning. To do so would mean to be controversial and a lot of public institutions can’t afford to be controversial.

​     This is why this residency stuck out to me. It is specifically for persons of diverse backgrounds to grow in their career. It’s a three year faculty position that will be allow me to explore different departments and see where my heart begins to sing.
I’m excited to share this journey with you all as I begin to explore the world of academic libraries.

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