Leah Freemon Joins College Staff

College Library is delighted to welcome Leah Freemon to our staff. As the new Teaching & Learning Resident Librarian, Leah will split her time between College and Steenbock, assisting the instruction efforts at both libraries for the duration of her three-year position. She also has responsibilities in the Teaching & Learning Programs Office of the UW-Madison Libraries, working on campus-wide library instruction projects, particularly in the area of on-line learning.

Leah received her M.S. in Library & Information Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in May 2019. Although she considered careers in both teaching and publishing, Leah decided to obtain an advanced degree in library science with the goal of becoming a public librarian. A graduate school assistantship at the UIUC’s Main Library, however, soon cemented a love of academic reference and, more surprisingly for her, a delight in library instruction.

Leah’s assistantship was unique in that she was empowered to create her own lesson plans, choose the appropriate pedagogical approach, and craft and revise her teaching scripts. Having such an instruction-focused experienced really solidified her commitment to academic librarianship. While Leah worked primarily with graduate students at UIUC, she is looking forward to connecting with undergraduate students about their information needs at UW-Madison. Not only does she enjoy the challenge of helping students get excited about academic research, but she’s looking forward to applying her schooling in a professional context.

Leah’s future goals include securing a permanent librarian position at a research university. In addition to instruction, she is interested in the field of scholarly communications, inspired, in part, by her undergraduate work on the publication Re:search, The Undergraduate Literary Criticism Journal at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Throughout all of her work, Leah hopes to continue growing her competencies relating to social justice, particularly through inclusive instructional design that encourages critical thinking about information, research, and teaching.

Leah earned undergraduate degrees in English and History in December of 2016, also from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  She is a fan of modern and contemporary fiction, counting Virginia Wolff’s To The Lighthouse as a particular favorite. In addition to reading, Leah enjoys a variety of hobbies: cooking, gardening, hiking, and playing with her cat, Juniper. She’s also spending time exploring Madison, and has enjoyed the city’s gardens, Arboretum, restaurants, and museums.

Once again, we welcome her to campus and look forward to her many contributions to the libraries.