Member of the Month: Dr Theodosia T. Shields
Name: Theodosia T. Shields
Institution: North Carolina Central University
Job Title: Director of Library Services
How long have you been a member of ULS?
I joined ULS in 2008.
What or who inspires your work?
I am inspired by my staff and our students. I have a committed staff who works diligently to serve our students, faculty and staff. When I engage with students either on or off campus, I like to ask them about the library and our initiatives. The information shared gives me inspiration and supports my passion for academic libraries and the desire to provide resources to support student learning.
What most excites you about academic librarianship?
I am excited about the transformation of our libraries and our role in student success. We are collaborating more with our campus communities and often viewed as a partner in instruction and programing. One example is working with campus partners to provide more electronic resources and low cost textbooks to support classroom instruction. We are also engaging with the Division of Student Affairs to offer and support their program needs.
What exciting or interesting project are you working on right now?
We are beginning our second phase of our library renovation project. The first phase was repurposing our first floor to include information technology services, collaboration spaces, leisure seating areas and a coffee shop. We are now beginning the second phase which will include a transformation of the remaining two floors.
Other projects are marketing related. The staff is working with other campus partners to highlight the availability of Shepard Library to the campus and community.
What do you do for fun?
I like to travel and I especially enjoy cruises. I also love water aerobics class and line dancing. Both are great physical activities and I enjoy the fellowship with my class mates.
