FSU Libraries Student Engagement Associate Alaina Faulkner applies undergraduate studies to her work, master's program

By Rose Jackson

As you enter the first floor of Florida State University’s Strozier Library, you encounter the many displays curated by the FSU Libraries’ stellar associates, assistants, and librarians.

English department alumna Alaina Faulkner, who is the FSU Libraries Student Engagement Associate, oversees those popular productions and much more. Originally from Bradenton, Florida, Faulkner graduated in the summer of 2021 with dual degrees in English-Literature, Media, and Culture and in French, accompanied with a minor in political science.

Faulkner began her full-time position with FSU Libraries while simultaneously pursuing her Master of Science in Information at FSU part-time. Her office is in Strozier and most of her work takes place there, but she also works with her colleagues in the Dirac Science Library. She is currently heading into her second year of her three-year master’s program, and she is set to graduate in Spring 2025.

Faulkner sat down for this interview in mid-July. You can also watch and listen to the interview here.

As the FSU Libraries Student Engagement Associate, what does this role entail in summary? What are some of your primary projects and responsibilities?

I help develop displays and passive programming as well as digital content that promotes library resources and services and reaches students to promote their overall wellness. I also help coordinating events for our main libraries at Strozier and Dirac. My main projects include our book displays at Strozier. I also work on blog posts and Instagram reels. We just did a zine for Pride Month, highlighting the LGBTQIA+ history. I work on the displays in front of Strozier and by the scholar support desk; that’s my main project. I help choose the themes of the displays and steer the direction of the programming. My assistant Lila Rush-Hickey [an undergraduate majoring in English-Literature, Media, and Culture] works on the popular literature display with me.

How did you get connected to FSU Libraries and your current position?

After graduating in the summer of 2021, I was applying for jobs in Tallahassee and looking all over because I was not sure exactly what I wanted to do. I knew that I wanted to go to graduate school, but I was not sure if that was going to be in English or something else. The more research I did about the libraries and the more I saw how much it supported research services and humanities research at FSU, I was very inspired by the ideas. I got a part-time position in the Office of Distance Library Services. This gave me first-hand experience about what the students need and how the libraries are trying to fill those needs, such as textbook affordability. I was also given the opportunity to work on the Strozier Scoop, an FSU Libraries’ newsletter. I was in that position for about a year and then this job opened. I thought it would be a great opportunity to fund my education, while also giving me first-hand experience as a supervisor in a library setting. I have been in my current job for almost a year. It has been wonderful being able to interact directly with students and promote displays and resources that speak to what they may need.

How do you collaborate with your assistant Lila Rush-Hickey? How long have you been working together?

I try to utilize Lila’s strengths. She is such a skilled writer and has great graphic design skills. Usually, as a group with the other part-time employees, we will brainstorm our plans for the semester. We think about what holidays are coming up or what things we want to celebrate, and then from there we will sit down with Lila about blog posts. We want to make sure the blog posts are different and vary in content. We think about book displays and make sure they reach different student populations. Lila has a pulse for the student body and what they may want to read and what they may need to know about the library. She helps me refine those ideas. Once we have solidified those ideas, I will assign them to her, and she just runs with it. Everything she is producing in her short amount of time here has been really wonderful. Her work has enhanced our overall programming for students. She recently posted a blog for Disability Pride Month. I was so proud of her because not only was it informative but also fun and talks about books I did not even know we had in our collection. I am proud to be working with her and it is really cool to have another English person here. Lila started around the beginning of 2023, so we have been working together for about six months. It has been a fruitful six months. She has great ideas for future events that we are going to try to implement, so I hope she will continue to grace us with those ideas.

What are you currently working on?

I work on the display for the popular literature section [located near the Starbucks]. I have been wanting to find a way to let people know that we have new books, New York Times bestsellers from this year. I started this display, which are books stacked on top of the section’s shelves, to feature them. Lila has been working with me to develop a New Arrivals displays because we get new books every month for this specific collection. I wanted to feature a few of the new popular titles that we have. I select the books based on the committee work that I do, then Lila helps me design the display and create a bookmark that we are going to put on the display table. Even if you cannot visit the display, you can just grab a bookmark and look up the books online. I love putting out books that have fun covers because people gravitate toward them. Lila has been working with me on an idea about finding a way to help students find books. If you are interested in a book and you look it up online, you may see a call number but not know where it is. So, we have been working on a video and blog post that will go hand in hand to breakdown what a call number is and how to find them. I am hoping to make the library a little less daunting and confusing.

Do you plan on staying in this position for the remainder of your master’s program?

I hope to stay here for now as I finish graduate school. I enjoy this position and being able to put out blog posts and displays that speak to different student experiences and to show students that the library is in touch and is trying to communicate with them. I have enjoyed collection development, so I am definitely going to take that into my future job.

What motivated you to study English at FSU for your undergraduate years? Why English over the other majors that may have interested you?

When I came to FSU, I was a political science major; I was passionate about advocacy. I took an Introduction to Literature class my first year for the humanities credit. We covered all types of literature from different genres, styles, and time periods. Studying a range of social and cultural contexts and writing essays about literature was the first time I had seen what humanities research could look like. I grew up as an avid reader, and I was involved in the arts, so the self-expression that is available in literature appealed to me. I was fascinated by close reading; I did not understand how to do it, but I wanted to develop those skills. I started to appreciate language and how it affects our understanding of the world, which led me to French. After that, I became really motivated, and I changed my major to English.

What did you enjoy about studying English? Did you have any favorite professors?

I enjoyed many things. I had a great experience. Studying a range of different types of texts exposed me to a lot of different stories and people that I would not have known before. Texts that are historically overlooked were also impactful for me because I had never read stories like that before. I was encouraged to think critically and independently. Throughout all my classes, I was encouraged to write essays and topics about things that fascinated me. This gave me so much confidence to go into my future feeling empowered in my professional aspirations and personal identity. I loved all my professors. I had great experiences with [graduate teaching assistant] Wayne Reed, [and professors] Maxine Montgomery, Andrew Epstein, and Judith Pascoe.

How did your bachelor’s degree in English prepare you for your graduate program?

English in general promotes critical thinking and that is foundational to what libraries are about. Going forward in libraries, I am inspired to promote ideas and different conversations. The rigor of the English department prepared me for the different type of rigor in graduate school.

— Alaina Faulkner

Close reading is a skill that I wanted to develop, and I underestimated how much I would utilize it in my day-to-day and professional life. Writing is such a skill that is used especially in libraries. You have to do a lot of writing to explain not only emails and everyday communication but also to articulate yourself clearly. If you want a grant or funding, or a new program, you are going to have to explain why you want that and why people should provide funds for it. English in general promotes critical thinking and that is foundational to what libraries are about. Going forward in libraries, I am inspired to promote ideas and different conversations. The rigor of the English department prepared me for the different type of rigor in graduate school. Articles about library practices can be dense, so now I have the ability to sort through those materials and have the stamina to pace myself with a heavy amount of reading.

What are some of your hobbies and interests outside of academic and work?

I am big fan of contemporary and popular literature. I love to read for fun and watch movies. I love to leisure and naps. I enjoy taking care of myself and going on walk with my dog who is a Pitbull and Boxer mix. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath is one of my all-time favorite books.

What are your plans for the future? Do you plan on staying in academia?

I am currently undecided as to what I am going to do in the future. I am hoping my master’s degree will take me elsewhere, but who knows. I could see myself working in a role to support undergraduate students with their transition from high school to college and helping them understand what information literacy is and how to use the library and its databases. I work on those foundational information literacy skills in my job but in less of an instructional way and more in a programming way. I am inspired by the work in public and school libraries to promote information resources that their communities need. I am motivated by the aspect of encouraging lifelong learning through reading and community programming. I am looking forward to learning more in my program. I am interested in doing library research even if I do not return to school. There is also a Ph.D. option for information science that may be possible.

Are there any upcoming events for FSU Libraries that you may wish to promote?

We have blog posts and other social media posts that are going out throughout the summer and fall. We are creating lots of digital content because many students are gone for the summer. We want to make sure that everyone is reaching the library. We are most active of our Instagram and blog. We also change up the displays monthly during the fall and spring, but during the summer it has just been one.

In the fall, that is when start ramping up our events and our in-person programming. Every semester we do a Welcome Week, which includes welcome events and new displays at both Strozier and Dirac.

Note: This transcribed Q&A was slightly edited for the format and for publication. 

Rose Jackson graduated at the end of the Summer 2023 term with a major in English-Editing, Writing, and Media and a minor in humanities.

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