Academic Librarians: A Discussion with Karen McCoy

The library is an important partner in academic success for students and professors. So why do so many people overlook this key resource? Karen McCoy takes us inside her job on two college campuses, unpacking what librarians do, and why she’s so happy to help everyone find exactly what they need.

Our guest is: Karen B. McCoy, who is a librarian currently living in Northern California. Most days, she can be found answering reference questions or conducting information literacy sessions in both the Sierra College Library and American River College Library. Outside of her librarian career, she maintains a blog where she interviews other authors. She has reviewed books for Library Journal and Children’s Literature, and she sold a feature article to School Library Journal entitled, “What Teens are Really Reading.” She also contributed a chapter to Now Write! Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. Her debut novel, The Etiquette of Voles, releases in June 2025 through Artemesia Publishing/Kinkajou Press.

Our host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, who is a freelance editor for scholarly projects. She is the producer of the Academic Life podcast.

Playlist for listeners:

• Book Banning and The National Coalition Against Censorship
• Once Upon A Tome
• That Librarian
• Understanding Disinformation
• The Grant Writing Guide
• Where Does Research Really Begin
• Archival Etiquette
• Becoming The Writer You Already Are
• Project Management for Researchers
• Find Your Argument
• The Guide To Getting Unstuck
• Dealing with the Fs

Welcome to Academic Life, the podcast for your academic journey—and beyond! You can support the show by downloading and sharing episodes. Join us again to learn from more experts inside and outside the academy, and around the world. Missed any of the 250+ Academic Life episodes? Find them here. And thank you for listening!

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