I’m Catherine Pellegrino, a reference librarian and the instruction coordinator at the Cushwa-Leighton Library at Saint Mary’s College, a Catholic women’s college in Notre Dame, Indiana (adjacent to South Bend). I have primary responsibility for library instruction and information literacy at the library, and I also work the reference desk, do outreach, work on our web page, make noises about instructional technology, and generally get in people’s way. As of Spring 2012, I’m also the liaison to the departments of Communication/Dance/Theater, English, Humanistic Studies, Music, and Political Science. If you want to know more about my professional background, you’re welcome to take a look at my resume or my publications and presentations.
This blog is a place for me to share my library instruction and reference experiences, sort through and think publicly about what works and what doesn’t, and engage in conversations about library instruction, information literacy, and (to quote Iris Jastram‘s tweets) referencing generally. There may also be some Friday cat- or baby toddler preschooler-blogging. Don’t say you weren’t warned.
The contents of this blog are my own thoughts and opinions, which do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.
Blogging About Work (largely cribbed from Claire B. Potter, the Tenured Radical):
My intent is neither to name nor to describe individuals such that they could be identified. When I discuss teaching situations and reference questions, I will do my best to change the details of the situation so as to preserve patron confidentiality. (Note that, because I work at a women’s college, I’ll always refer to students as “she.”)
Comments (cribbed from the Tenured Radical and Meredith Farkas):
I reserve the right to delete comments that I find offensive, irrelevant, or blatant advertising, as well as any that engage in personal or ad hominem attacks. To borrow from Television Without Pity: address the subject, not the person.
Reviews and Links (inspired mostly by Jessamyn West):
In the extremely unlikely event that someone sends me something, unsolicited, for review: I might review it; I might not; I certainly won’t guarantee you a positive review. If you write and ask me to link to you or to something else: I might, or I might not. It depends on how closely what you’re asking me to link to matches the purpose of the blog.
