We are excited for our campus community to get to know our new Applied Sciences Librarian, Rachel Knapp.
Prior to her start in November, Knapp was the Engineering and Forestry Reference Librarian at the University of Maine’s Raymond H. Fogler Library. She said that her hands-on experience with engineering, paired with her education in forestry, informs her overall instruction methods.
To characterize her pedagogy in a few words, Knapp, has a tool-based approach to instruction.
“When I’m teaching, I focus on the skills that the student needs,” Knapp said. “The focus is really on executing a task and then later adding the theory onto it. It’s been an effective method for her so far but she looks forward to learning new approaches from her new colleagues.
Knapp said that it’s important to provide students with the context that will allow them to connect with the material. She also noted that understanding a student’s immediate goals for the session are essential to how the session is managed.
“Sometimes that’s as simple as saying I know that you might not look for the thing that you need until 11 p.m. the night before you need it. Here’s what you can do in that scenario,” she said. “It’s taking a step back and putting yourself in your audience’s shoes and asking yourself, ‘What’s going to make this student really stay interested in what you’re saying and also gain value out of it?’”
Knapp is excited to continue to help students find resources to supplement their research while further pursuing her own research interests. She also expressed enthusiasm for her new environment.
“I’m excited to be around such motivated people and the projects they are working on,” she said. “Having a good job with people that are unbelievable to work with is a gift.”
Outside of work, Knapp dabbles in a bit of everything. From hiking to visiting museums and dining out, Knapp knows that there is lots to explore in the Centennial State!
We look forward to working on our projects with you, Rachel.