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What goals/hopes do you have for this year as you join the Bruin community?

I’m excited to join the UCLA library as the Physical Sciences and Engineering Librarian! My main goal is to act as a connector between the Library and the physical sciences and engineering students, faculty and staff. I hope to be a bridge, sharing information and services, while also developing new relationships and opportunities to engage with the physical sciences and engineering disciplines. I’m also excited to work with folks across the Library on projects to support UCLA students.

How has your prior experience prepared you for this role at the UCLA Library?

Prior to UCLA, I’ve worked in STEM librarianship at multiple institutions, including as the Reference & Instruction Librarian for Science & Engineering at Loyola Marymount University and as the Lead Librarian for Engineering at the North Carolina State Universities Libraries. Through those experiences I’ve gained an appreciation for the unique resources and needs of engineering and science researchers and students. Those experiences also inform how I approach developing campus partnerships, from reaching out to student organizations to learning about faculty research, which will be a starting point to working with the Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science.

What projects will you be tackling first?

One of my first projects will be information gathering – talking with departments, meeting people both internal and external to the Library, and getting a sense of the research and learning that is happening on campus. After that, I hope to begin finding ways to connect STEM campus members with the great existing library services, or creating new services to cater to the needs of our physical sciences and engineering communities.

What are you currently reading/watching/listening to? and/or What do you like to do outside of work?

As a fan of reading, I tend to jump between books and genres, but I’m currently on a fantasy kick, with my ongoing reads being "The Priory of the Orange Tree" by Samantha Shannon and the "Wheel of Time" series by Robert Jordan. As an F1 fan, I’ve been watching the Formula 1 season and recently I’ve been watching "What We Do in the Shadows" and binging old seasons of "Survivor." For hobbies, I make stained glass, knit and enjoy spending time outdoors hiking/camping, relaxing on the beach, or even just going for walks.

What is your preferred name and what are your preferred pronouns?

Shelby, she/her

We are delighted to welcome Shelby to UCLA Library! You can contact her at shallman@library.ucla.edu(opens in a new tab).