November 1, 2018
New Arrivals
Amy Runyon joined the CAMU (Cataloging and Metadata Unit) team in mid-October as the Rare Books Catalog Librarian. She holds a BA in Art History from Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois and graduated with her MA in Library and Information Science from Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois, in the Spring of 2018.
After graduating with her BA and uncertain of the career path she wanted to follow, Amy moved to Chicago, Illinois and tried out teaching, as a Youth Development Specialist at a charter school. She then went on to work as a retail manager, until finally deciding in 2016 to follow her passion for books and history and enroll in library school. While in school, Amy worked in both Circulation and Technical Services at a public library. She also interned at the Pritzker Military Museum & Library and Chicago History Museum, where she completed original and some copy cataloging of monographs and realia. Most recently, Amy worked as a Project Archivist at the library of her alma mater, Lake Forest College.
Growing up in Indiana and living in the Chicago area the past 13 years, Texas is a new adventure for Amy. She is enjoying getting to explore all the fun things Waco has to offer and the warmer weather! In her spare time, Amy enjoys doing puzzles, horseback riding, traveling, and spending time with friends, family and her cat Aria. Amy is excited to get to know the faculty, staff and students at Baylor and work at an academic institution that places importance on community, scholarship and faith.
Laura Jane Kilgore is one of the newest members of the CAMU team, currently training as an Information Specialist III. With a degree in professional writing and a life-long love for fiction, she’s always appreciated good books but never considered working in a library until recently. Now, you’ll find her next to the big windows looking out into the Gregory Garden in Moody Library, very happy to be surrounded by stacks of books.
After her graduation from the University of Houston – Downtown, Laura Jane spent three years working as a technical writer in the aerospace, real estate, and energy industries in Houston. She gained valuable experience there, but two years ago she became a freelance writer and editor, working on projects ranging from editing autobiographical, fiction, and academic works, to researching and writing journalistic content for Christian organizations. After all the long days and hard work, Laura Jane is very glad for a steady job with rewarding work, happy people, and in the Baylor academic environment. She still plans to keep up with some of her freelance clients in her spare time, but also hopes to pursue some other hobbies like baking, making paper flowers, and writing creatively.
Last summer, Laura Jane moved to Waco from Houston, hoping to escape the traffic and find a solid community in and around Baylor. Here, she enjoys hanging out at Pinewood, hiking in Cameron Park, shopping at the Waco Farmers’ Market, and spending time with her grad-student friends on campus. She is inspired by the community here, loves her church, and looks forward to many happy years at Baylor University in good old Wacotown
October 1, 2018
Returning Faces
Cyndie Burgess has returned to work part-time at the ABL. She will primarily be helping us eliminate our book cataloging backlog. Cyndie will office in room 325.
New Arrivals, Promotions
Janell Wellbaum joins the Libraries as the new Assistant to the Dean of Libraries. Janell, the current temporary Admin. Assistant will officially begin her new role on Monday, October 8. Janell will be coordinating and providing support for all activities in the Office of the Dean of Libraries to include special events and projects for the Dean’s Office. You can reach Janell at extension #3590 or by email at Janell_Wellbaum@baylor.edu .
Janell is long time Waco area resident and has worked for the past 18 years as an educator for several local ISD’s. She earned her bachelor’s and Master’s in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington. She and her husband David are the parents of two young daughters, 12 and 8 years old, who attend Midway ISD where David has worked as an educator for the past 16 years. Janell and her family are active members at First United Methodist Church of Waco.
Neonel Rodriguez has joined the LATS team full-time as an Academic Consultant as of September 10. Neil will continue to be responsible for providing support for Canvas, WordPress, and other services offered by Online Teaching and Learning Services. Previously, Neil gained several years’ experience in this capacity as a temporary employee. If you would like to reach out to Neil, his email address is Neonel_Rodriguez@baylor.edu and his office phone number is 710-4525.
Kacie Morgan Collin is the newest employee at the ABL, working as a part-time Library Information Specialist I. Kacie will work in the afternoons on the main floor greeting visitors. She will also assist in the Gift Gallery and with after-hours events and will work assigned Saturdays. Kacie is new to Waco. She is originally from Washington State. She has a BA in History with minors in French and Biblical Studies from George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon.
Two new staffers have joined the Research & Engagement Services: Connie Hill is coming to us from the surrounding Central Texas area where she has been involved in teaching, library services, and geology studies for the past several years. Jonathan Scruggs has been in Waco since August of last year. He was most recently employed at the Writing Center while completing a year’s worth of doctoral coursework in Baylor’s English department.
Jennifer Ringer joined the Crouch Fine Arts Library staff in late July. She is the new Evening Supervisor, working the closing shift on Sundays through Thursdays. In her role, Jennifer trains and supervises student workers, provides reference assistance to patrons, and helps with promotions and special projects. She holds a degree in Theatre Arts from Texas Tech University, and has experience in both K-12 education and retail.
Laura Kilgore joins the Cataloging and Metadata Unit of Library Collections Services on October 11th. Her primary job responsibilities will be to collaborate closely with Allison Yanos and Chason Disheroon on a variety of database maintenance-related duties, such as bibliographic record cleanup, withdrawals, inventories, and other related tasks. Additionally, Laura will input bibliographic metadata for the various digital collections. Laura graduated from the University of Houston-Downtown with a degree in Professional Writing, and comes to us with extensive experience in technical writing working for a real estate firm, BP, and NASA. Laura’s phone extension will be 4401 and her email will be Laura_Kilgore@Baylor.edu.
Andy Clark has joined LATS as TechPoint Desk Coordinator. Andy will be responsible for coordination of the TechPoint service desk, the Study Commons, and the student staff that support those areas. Andy is joining us from recent work as a Barista at Common Grounds in Hewitt, but gained experience with academic technology at Truett while recently completing his M.Div. If you would like to reach out to Andy, his current email address is Andy_Clark1@baylor.edu and his office phone number is 710-6157.
