ALAO Mentor Biographies

John Burke

Library Director
Miami University Middletown

Areas of expertise: Circulation, Instruction, Library Management, Marketing and Outreach, Reference, Reserves / Electronic Reserves, Student Supervision, makerspaces, finding OERs and open textbooks for faculty, providing library services/teaching in the learning management system

Professional background: I've worked in academic libraries since 1993 (in Ohio since 1997). I have always worked in a small library environment where my role has encompassed a little bit of everything over time. My main work is in library leadership and public services, but I have some technology abilities as well. I can offer, if not wisdom, my experiences in helping students, working alongside and collaborating with colleagues, and keeping administrators happy. I've had the honor to serve in leadership roles with ALAO in the past, and have always appreciated what the organization provides for the professional development of library staff.

What motivates you to serve as a mentor? I hope that the mentee would have a chance to talk about how they would like to grow from the experience and through our interactions would feel empowered and supported to succeed in their goals.

Please describe any special interest that may be helpful in matching you and your mentee (i.e. hobbies, special skills, service, or volunteer organizations). I like camping, hiking, and running. I'm currently working on a master's degree in instructional design and technology.

Heather Crozier

Electronic Resources Librarian
Ohio Northern University

Areas of expertise: Career / Recruitment and Hiring, Collection Development, Marketing and Outreach, Reference, Electronic Resources; Managing multiple roles

Professional background: I have worked in public, community college, and university libraries. I also work at a small university which allows me to wear a lot of different hats. In addition to e-resources, I do collection development, serve as a liaison to different academic (business, nursing, theater, and music) and service departments, teach, handle the library's social media, create videos, and am part of our marketing committee. I believe I can be most helpful for someone who needs to balance multiple responsibilities.

What motivates you to serve as a mentor? I would hope that my mentee would gain confidence and grow as a professional, in addition to gaining a supportive colleague from a different institution.

Please describe any special interest that may be helpful in matching you and your mentee (i.e. hobbies, special skills, service, or volunteer organizations). I've been very involved with ALAO. I have volunteered as an adult literacy tutor for the last 9 years. I am currently mentoring our OhioLINK Luminaries intern. My research interest is chronic illness/invisible disabilities in librarianship, as I have chronic illnesses.

David W. Green

Library Systems Analyst
State Library of Ohio

Areas of expertise: Circulation, Discovery Layers, Reserves / Electronic Reserves, Shelving / Stack Maintenance, Systems, Web Development, Knowledgebases, MARC, Python, Automation

Professional background: Six years in a support capacity for all OPAL libraries, addressing questions and projects around Sierra ILS administration, EBSCO EDS, EBSCOhost databases, Springshare products, web development, SQL and REST APIs for reporting and automation projects, OCLC Collection Manager, etc. Most recently I serve a similar role but just for the State Library of Ohio.

What motivates you to serve as a mentor? Practical experience for any of the products mentioned, or at the very least feels comfortable reaching out to a mentor to talk through unfamiliar territory.

Please describe any special interest that may be helpful in matching you and your mentee (i.e. hobbies, special skills, service, or volunteer organizations). I am beginning to explore the relationship between cybersecurity and libraries, particularly in what a librarian's role might be. I am recently a member of the Scholarly Networks Security Initiative (SNSI).

Ken Irwin

Web Services Librarian
Miami University

Areas of expertise: Collection Development, Instruction, Reference, Web Development

Professional background: I spent 20+ years as a reference/instruction/collection development faculty librarian at a small private college prior to my current role as in web development at a medium-sized public university. My current role also includes leadership in the libraries Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts. I expect I can offer general early-career advice, as well as perspectives on making big job changes. I think I have a pretty good understanding of academic libraries as workplaces, and can help develop a person's preparedness to meet their employers goals and find their own professional niche.

What motivates you to serve as a mentor? I'd hope for a mentee to cultivate their strengths and become more confident in their abilities; to expand their professional network and to develop some ideas about how they want to invest their time and energy in the profession, and how they might overcome any obstacles they face.

Please describe any special interest that may be helpful in matching you and your mentee (i.e. hobbies, special skills, service, or volunteer organizations). professional: coding, DEI, hobbies: hiking, mushroom hunting, dancing, caving, climbing

Tina Schneider

Library Director
The Ohio State University at Lima

Areas of expertise: Library management, I do a little of everything, since we are so small

Professional background: I was a reference/instruction librarian for 11 years, and became the director here in 2010. I am a tenured professor with Ohio State University Libraries, so I can talk about the tenure process in some detail. My library is very small, so I have some experience in a lot of different areas; we are also a shared library with Ohio State Lima and Rhodes State College. My academic background is in music, and I am involved with the Ohio Theological Library Association as well.

What motivates you to serve as a mentor?  I hope I can answer their questions or at least be able to find out the answers--it's really important that people new to the profession feel like they have someone they can talk to.

Please describe any special interest that may be helpful in matching you and your mentee (i.e. hobbies, special skills, service, or volunteer organizations). I'm a member of the Lima Symphony Chorus. I also volunteer for an organization called Family Promise, which helps unhoused families.

Zach Sharrow

Interim Director of CoRE
College of Wooster

Areas of expertise: Digital Scholarship, Instruction, Library Management, Science Librarianship, Digital Media

Professional background: In approximately 10 years as a librarian, I have gathered experience in a variety of settings and roles. I have worked as part of a team of health sciences librarians, as a solo science librarian on a liberal arts campus, and (more recently) in interim roles as a library director and a digital media/digital scholarship librarian.

What motivates you to serve as a mentor? In addition to a strong professional connection, I hope that my mentee would gain confidence in understanding librarianship broadly, including the ways in which concerns across disciplines and departments intersect and inform one another.