University Libraries’ resources are vast – and for the faculty and students who draw on these resources for their research, that’s both a benefit and a challenge: with so many databases and holdings available and so many possible search terms and parameters with which to approach them, the options can feel overwhelming.

That’s why, for everyone from the newest undergraduates to the most seasoned faculty, working with a Research and Instruction Librarian like Valerie Vera can be transformative. While researchers generally come in with a sense of what they need to know, R&I librarians have unparalleled expertise in how to find it, as efficiently and effectively as possible.

What Vera and the nine other members of the Research and Instruction team have to offer goes far beyond mastery of search tools. Each of them specializes in specific academic disciplines and develops expertise in the resources and scholarly requirements for faculty and students in those disciplines. And because the research landscape is always evolving, R&I librarians constantly evolve both their knowledge and their skillsets as well, keeping up with new products and services that can support the research enterprise, staying abreast of the latest trends in the disciplines they support, and adjusting their approach to their work with faculty and students accordingly.

Vera, who has worked in University Libraries’ Research and Instruction department since 2019 and is nearing completion of a Ph.D. in Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina’s College of Information and Communications, supports researchers in fields ranging from biology to neuroscience to psychology. An accomplished scholar in her own right – she has published seven refereed journal articles and is the 2024 recipient of the School of Information Science’s Robert V. Williams Student Research Award – Vera is particularly adept at helping advanced researchers undertake large projects like systematic reviews but is equally willing to support undergraduates who are just beginning to discover all that the libraries can offer them.

Below, Vera discusses her work as a research and instruction librarian, describes how it has changed in recent years, and shares what she finds most rewarding about it.

What was your path to becoming a librarian? 

When an undergraduate, I interned at a public library and really enjoyed getting to work with people and solve problems. After earning a degree in English at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania, I came to USC for a Masters in Library and Information Science. I wasn’t initially sure what kind of librarian I wanted to be, but while earning the MLIS, I interned at MUSC in their research and instruction department and really loved the front-facing, research-intensive domain of that and knew from that experience that I wanted to go into a comparable position. Thankfully this position opened that same semester, and I started at Thomas Cooper in July 2019.

How would you describe your job in a nutshell?

I support a variety of disciplines, including Health Promotion Education and Behavior (HPEB) in the Arnold School of Public Health, neuroscience, psychology and biology, and the School of Information. I do a lot of instruction, which tends to be undergraduate oriented: everything from general sessions for English 102 classes to subject-specific ones at the upper levels. I also provide research consultations, which range from helping psychology graduate students who are prepping for comprehensive exams to HPEB systematic reviews to honors thesis consults. My work with health science researchers who are conducting systematic reviews also inspired my recent work developing an AI tool to help speed the research process for them.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

I am always inspired by the consultations I do with students — they typically have very interesting questions, and working with them gives me an opportunity to learn a little bit about a lot of things, and get to learn about disciplines I didn’t have a background in.

What’s the most interesting thing about your work?

Just having to continuously evolve—our roles in research and instruction are changing at a more rapid pace even than when I started six years ago.  We’re getting more requests outside of what we consider to be the traditional things people ask of libraries. People come to the libraries now asking for help with things like data analysis, systematic reviews, AI tools. It’s a very dynamic profession and we have to evolve to stay relevant.

What led you to go beyond the MLIS to pursue a Ph.D. in Library Science? And what are you specializing in?

As I was completing my MLIS, I was applying for both jobs and Ph.D. programs at the same time and was very fortunate that I landed here and could pursue a Ph.D. at the university where I was working. I love research and love doing data analysis, and those are significant components of my Ph.D. coursework. My dissertation research involves looking at content moderation of stigmatized mental health information on social media and how that intervention can serve as a barrier for people looking for help.

Pursuing a Ph.D. has helped me a lot as a librarian, because I know the pain points students have and through my own experience, I’ve learned a lot of good ways to help people.

How do you see the research enterprise at USC evolving and how are the libraries evolving to meet those needs? What skills have you developed to meet or anticipate those needs?

Researchers are seeking more support from the libraries for the entire research cycle. Historically, we’ve been the place where you find sources. Now we’re also helping with all kinds of needs, such as managing, visualizing and storing data. We make continual efforts to recognize and meet those needs through ongoing skill development and professional development so we’re prepared to help in whatever ways are needed.