Meet Your Librarian
Throughout the Spring 2019 semester, the Eugene McDermott Library will be highlighting some of our amazing library staff in an ongoing series designed to help students, faculty and staff get to know the many faces of the library who are here to help you discover relevant, authoritative and scholarly resources.
Loreen Henry, Head of Information Literacy
After graduating from Hofstra University with a degree in journalism, Eugene McDermott Library’s Head of Information Literacy Loreen Henry planned to pursue a journalism career. She took a job as an editorial assistant at Random House in New York City reading manuscripts and answering fan mail on behalf of Dr. Seuss.
But the stressful commute to Manhattan each day in addition to few advancement opportunities led her to leave her editorial position and turn in a different direction. Because of her love of books, Henry went back to school and pursued a degree in library science at Long Island University. She completed her M.L.S. while working as a children’s librarian at the Hollis Avenue Branch of the Queens Village Branch Library.
Henry, who was born in Jamaica and grew up in Queens, NY, worked at several public libraries and the library at Collin College before joining the staff of the McDermott Library in 2001.
“I have always loved working with the public, so my experiences here and at other libraries have been enjoyable. Each library has such unique populations and that has made working at each one great,” Henry said.
As Head of Information Literacy Services at McDermott, Henry coordinates a group of librarians in teaching students, faculty and staff to do research using a variety of information sources, including the library’s millions of books, eBooks, databases and other electronic resources. She is also one of two liaisons for the Jindal School of Management and regularly meets with faculty and students to teach them how to access resources related to management studies.
“A typical day for me includes lots of meetings, several appointments with either students or faculty, teaching the online library courses, writing reports, being on the Research Services Desk or on the library’s online Chat service and planning outreach events geared toward student engagement with my staff,” Henry said.
One of her favorite parts of her job is helping students and faculty find exactly what they were looking for or “the discovery” and educating the UT Dallas community about the vast resources the library has to offer.
As for the future of libraries, Henry says, “The future of libraries is very exciting. Schools, colleges, universities and research centers, the world could not further their interests if knowledge was not there to be archived and shared.
Learn more about Loreen Henry:
Title
Head of Information Literacy
Educational Background
BA in Journalism and English Literature, Hofstra University; MS in Library Science, Long Island University
My career at McDermott began in
2001
What do you like best about your job and working at the McDermott Library?
“My favorite part of my job is working with students during their first semester here. The library has an excellent collection of services and resources and it’s always a wonderful experience introducing all that the library has to offer.
My favorite part of the library is the fourth floor. It has the most books and also the literature collections. I love to read literature from other countries such India, France and Japan. In a free moment I will go up there and look for something to take home and read.”
Contact Loreen by email or phone: 972-883-2126.