Resume
Rebecca A. Cooper
Education
Catholic University, Washington, D.C.
M.S.L.S., May, 2007
Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX
M.A. in Art History, May, 2006
Thesis: Dreams of Architecture in Sculpture:
Architectonics and Meaning in the Work of George Minne
Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA
Bachelor of Arts, May 2000
Major: Art History / Minors: Studio Art, French
Experience
Manager of Reader Services, Society of the Cincinnati Library, Apr. 2006 – Present
- Serve as the primary contact for reference inquiries via phone, email, and written correspondence. Provide instruction and reference assistance to visiting scholars and researchers. Plan public events, including book signings and lectures. Assist in the maintenance, development, and promotion of a specialized library collection consisting of manuscripts, archives, prints, maps, and monographs related to the American Revolution. As part of a team, work to develop and maintain the Society’s web presence at www.societyofthecincinnati.org.
Part-Time/Substitute Librarian, George Mason University, May 2006 – Present
- Assist patrons with reference and research questions related to a variety of disciplines in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Instruct patrons in the use of print and digital library resources.
Reference Assistant, George Mason University, Sept. 2004 – Apr. 2006
- Designed and delivered library workshops on a variety of topics. Served as the coordinator of EndNote instruction for the Arlington campus. Created and maintained guides to library and web resources relevant to departmental subjects. Maintained the website for the Arlington Campus Library. Provided face-to-face and virtual reference assistance to faculty, staff, students, and the public. Assisted with the development of the collection through bibliographic verification and identification of new and relevant materials. Coordinated the weekly reference desk schedule and the semester instruction schedule. Promoted library events and resources through the creative development of fliers and brochures.
Graduate Curatorial Intern, Dallas Museum of Art, Aug. 2003 – Sept. 2004
- Assisted with the research and writing of the exhibition catalog “Modernism in American Silver.” Presented works of art to the public as part of an ongoing informal lecture series. Supported the work of the registrar with the creation and maintenance of physical and electronic object files. Performed condition reports. Compiled information on prospective additions to the collection.
Reference Assistant, Hamon Arts Library, Southern Methodist University, Oct. 2001 – May 2003
- Provided instruction for students and faculty conducting research on topics related to the visual, performing, and fine arts. Guided library patrons in the use of the online library catalog, online journals and indexes, and electronic databases.
Teaching Assistant, Art History Dept., Southern Methodist University, Aug. 2001 – May 2003
- Aided professors with various duties related to class, including locating course materials, running projection equipment, and grading student work.
Admission Counselor, Albright College, Reading, PA, Aug. 2000 – Aug. 2001
- Duties included reviewing applications, interviewing students, and encouraging accepted students to enroll. Advised students on the admission and financial aid processes. Hired, trained, and supervised a group of over 30 undergraduate tour guides. Participated in the planning and implementation of Open House programs.
Admissions Intern, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA, August 1999 – May, 2000
- Participated in a year-long program designed to familiarize interns with all aspects of college admissions, ranging from recruitment and interviewing to application review and coordinating student visits. Organized and trained a group of nearly 100 volunteer tour guides to participate in “Get Acquainted Day” events for prospective students. Led one-on-one and large group campus tours.
Assistant Slide Curator, Visual Art Department, Gettysburg College, Summer 1998
- Cataloged slide collection according to the Harvard University Fogg system. Conducted research in an effort to catalog unidentified slides in the collection.
Service to the Profession
- Art Libraries Society of North America
- One of three members of the Professional Development Committee task force organizing and publishing the revised edition of “Library Schools in Canada and the United States: Educational Opportunities for Careers in Fine Arts and Visual Resources Librarianship” (Forthcoming, Spring 2008)
- Co-Moderator of ArLiSNAP Discussion Group (Art Library Students and New ARLIS Professionals), 2006 – Present
- Site administrator for the ArLiSNAP blog/online community located at http://www.arlisnap.org, 2006 – Present
- Co-Editor of Sketches, the newsletter for the DC/MD/VA Chapter, 2006 – Present
- American Library Association, ACRL-ARTS
- Committee member to produce the ARTS Guide for the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, DC, 2007
- Virginia Library Association
- Region V Committee Member, 2005 – 2006
Institutional Service
- Customer Service Team, George Mason University, 2005 – 2006
- Events and Exhibits Team member, George Mason University Libraries, Winter 2006
Conference Attendance and Participation
- 2008 ARLIS-NA Annual Conference, Denver, CO (currently in planning stages)
- Moderator/Coordinator for the “Web 2.0 Tech Kiosk” a walk-up instructional station intended to introduce ARLIS/NA members to web 2.0 concepts and applications in an interactive, hands-on, and un-intimidating forum
- 2007 ARLIS-NA Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA
- Co-moderator for AskARLIS: Hot Topics in Art Librarianship
- 2006 ARLIS-NA Annual Conference, Banff, AB
- Computers in Libraries, Washington, DC
- Virginia Library Association Annual Conference, Williamsburg, VA
- 2005 Computers in Libraries, Washington, DC
Workshop Attendance and Continuing Education
- Web 2.0: Connecting with the Community Using Social Software (4-week online course), InfoPeople.org, Sept. 2007
- Making Contact: Connecting with Our Communities of Users, Virginia Library Association, Apr. 2006
- Building Webpages using Dreamweaver (Sessions 1–5), George Mason University, Oct. 2004
- Beginning HTML, George Mason University, Oct. 2004
Awards and Distinctions
- ARLIS/NA Student Conference Attendance Award, 2008
- Howard and Mathilde Rovelstad Scholarship, Catholic University School of Library and Information Science, 2006
- Virginia Library Association Scholarship, 2006
- Travel Award, DC-MD-VA chapter of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 2006
- Provost’s Scholarship, Catholic University School of Library and Information Science, 2005
- “Caught in the Act” Customer Service Award, George Mason University, 2005
- Individual Impact Award for “outstanding contributions to the University Libraries”, George Mason University, 2005
- Alessandra Comini Award for Academic Achievement in Art History, 2002
- Haakon Grant for travel to Belgium related to thesis research, 2002
- Rigsby Grant for travel to Italy to participate in archaeological field school, 2002
Skills
- Experience with virtual reference software, chat reference, and a variety of web 2.0 tools
- Strong reading and speaking knowledge of French
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office, Dreamweaver MX, and HTML
- Proficiency using both InMagic and Voyager library automation software
References Available On Request
