Headshot of Melanie Smith

Melanie Smith

( She/Her/Hers )
First-Year Experience Librarian
Student Success and Engagement Team
Phone: (415) 338-1620
Email: smithms@sfsu.edu

Research & Instructional Services

About Me

Before I became a librarian, I was a newspaper editor and designer, and I care about sharing information freely and clearly. I want to make it easier for all SF State students to take advantage of everything the Library has to offer. 

How I Can Help

New to SF State? Check out our get-started guide to learn what you can do at the Library — and what the Library can do for you!

Email me anytime! I check messages frequently during work hours Monday through Friday. You can also meet with me at the Library or on Zoom to get help with your research projects: Schedule an appointment

Ask Me About

  • Library outreach and communication
  • Citation styles and reference lists
  • Open educational practices
  • Tolkien's Middle-earth

Education

Master of Library & Information Science, University of Washington Information School

Bachelor of Arts, Literature/Writing, University of California, San Diego

Selected Research and Publications

Rusk, F., Smith, M., Davidian, Z., Borges, E. (2024, May). ‘I wish I knew this earlier!’: A qualitative analysis of student instruction feedback. LOEX Conference Proceedings 2024. Forthcoming at https://commons.emich.edu/loexconf/ 

Davidian, Z., & Smith, M. (2024, May 31). The amazing makerspace race: An active-learning library orientation for new STEM students [Lightning talk]. California Conference on Library Instruction (CCLI) 2024, San Francisco, CA.

Rusk, F., Borges, E., Maxwell, J., & Smith, M. (2023, March 17). High-impact information literacy collaborations for student success [Poster]. ACRL 2023, Pittsburgh, PA. 

Ray, L., & Smith, M. (2022, October 20). What OER authors want: Lessons from an OER publishing platform user survey [Conference session]. Open Education Conference 2022, online.