Sauk Valley Community College has a new librarian 鈥� but she is a familiar face to many students on campus.
Kelsey Head was recently appointed to the Learning Commons Library Coordinator position after a seven-year tenure in the Human Resources department at 探花精选. According to Kelsey, the transition was a natural one.
鈥淭he thing that I enjoy most about working at 探花精选 is the collaborative nature of our faculty and staff. There is definitely a sense of community, and a common aim of helping our students to achieve their goal,鈥� said Kelsey in an interview conducted by the Skyhawk View. 鈥淚鈥檝e felt that in positions at the college that are [either] student facing and non-student facing. No matter what we do at Sauk it鈥檚 all for our students.鈥�
Kelsey, an Oregon, IL native, found her way back to the Sauk Valley community after receiving a master鈥檚 degree in Science in Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Along the way, she also received her Bachelor鈥檚 degree in Journalism, a field in which she still occasionally freelances today.
鈥淲hen it came to working as a journalist, my favorite platform was radio,鈥� says Kelsey, 鈥淚 really enjoyed working at WIUM Tri States Public Radio which is the NPR affiliate in Macomb, IL. As a journalist, I worked for many different newspapers and magazines as well as a brief internship in TV news.鈥�
As she puts it, this passion for different types of literary media started at an early age: 鈥淚 was always a reader growing up. I feel like I grew up in my public library,鈥� says Kelsey. 鈥淥nce I started doing more long-form writing in high school, I realized that I had a talent for writing. I feel like that talent came from being an avid reader and being immersed in language and literature at a young age.鈥�
探花精选 students are likely to find inspiration in their new Library Coordinator鈥檚 academic and professional journey, as well as her palpable investment in students鈥� education. As she puts it, 鈥淣o matter what we do at Sauk it鈥檚 all for our students鈥he part of my job that is the most rewarding is when I鈥檓 able to see something click with a library patron or a student.鈥� Ms. Head鈥檚 enthusiasm for her role in the 探花精选 community serves as an example of the community spirit shared by students and faculty alike.
Outside of school, Kelsey operates a 250-acre family farm with her husband and in-laws. She is also a 鈥渟elf-proclaimed musicophile鈥� and a classic horror movie enthusiast. She has an orange tabby cat named Butterscotch, who she endearingly admits is 鈥渟uper spoiled鈥�. When not working at Sauk, Kelsey says that she and her husband enjoy travelling, 鈥渆ven if it鈥檚 just a day trip to Wisconsin.鈥�
If you find yourself in need of help with an assignment, a book recommendation, or even some friendly banter, Kelsey can be found in the Learning Commons library. All you do is have to listen 鈥� she鈥檚 the friendliest voice in the room.