Interim Dean’s Welcome

Welcome to Fall 2024 at your SF State Library!

I am excited to reach out to you as I step into the role of Interim Dean of J. Paul Leonard Library, and I am honored to have the opportunity to serve such a vibrant and diverse community. Although I served as the J. Paul Leonard Library’s Associate University Librarian for over six years, many of you may not know me yet, so I wanted to share some of the highlights on my journey to this position.

I bring over 21 years of experience in academic libraries to the Interim Dean role, 18 of which have been at CSU libraries. Throughout my career, my focus has been on student learning and success. Prior to taking on the Associate University Librarian position here at San Francisco State, I served as the Associate Dean of the Library at CSU Dominguez Hills. From 2008 to 2016, I was a library faculty member at Cal Poly Pomona, where I made my way through the ranks to full librarian, serving first as the library’s Information Literacy Coordinator and later as the Head of Research Assistance & Instruction. My first position in the CSU was at Sacramento State University in 2006, where I served as the Humanities & Online Learning Librarian. I started my career in libraries in 2003 as an Instruction Librarian at the University of West Georgia, where I taught credit-bearing information literacy courses both online and in person.

In addition to introducing myself, I also wanted to brag about the J. Paul Leonard Library and all the amazing people who work here and to invite you to explore all the Library has to offer. Our library is a hub of intellectual curiosity, collaboration, and innovation that is here to support your academic and personal success. Whether you are a student, faculty member, staff member, or community member, our resources, services, and spaces are designed to meet your research, teaching, and learning needs and help you thrive. Our dedicated library faculty and staff are ready to assist you in navigating our expansive collections of physical books, journals, media, archival materials, and electronic resources, including ebooks, databases, streaming media, and theses and dissertations. If you're unsure where to start, our librarians are here to provide research consultations and guidance, helping you find and evaluate information for your projects.

In addition to our main collections and research support, the Library provides a variety of services to enhance your experience, such as:

• Spaces to Study, Make, & Collaborate: Quiet areas for focused work, collaborative spaces for group work, a Digital Media Studio & MakerSpace, and a welcoming atmosphere for all.
• Laptop Checkouts: Available at the Research Commons!
• Library Instruction: Our librarians offer information literacy instruction sessions to help you develop your research skills.
• Online Tutorials: Learn how to search the Library’s collections, get better results, stay organized, and more!
• Special Collections & Archives: Explore unique materials about the history of the University, local labor and social justice movements, historic Bay Area news film, and our digital collections, including an online exhibit on the San Francisco State College Strike, 1968-1969.

We are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone feels supported in their academic journey. I encourage you to take full advantage of all your Library has to offer!

Finally, please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or suggestions on how we can better serve you.

Best,

Christy Stevens

Interim Dean, J. Paul Leonard Library