Ashley R. Maynor

Ashley Maynor
Describe yourself in three words:

Curious, questioning, evolving.

What are you reading (or listening to on your mobile device)?

I am reading "The Century of Artists' Books" by Johanna Drucker, "Syllabus: Notes from an Accidental Professor" by Lynda Berry, and "Tenements, Towers & Trash: An Unconventional Illustrated History of New York City" by Julia Wertz.

Describe ACRL in three words:

Rife for re-imagining.

What do you value about ACRL?

I value the sense of history and tradition, uniting a wide range of librarians in one organization.

What do you as an academic librarian contribute to your campus?

I鈥檓 a filmmaker and a librarian. While film making and librarianship might seem an unlikely combination, I rely equally on these two skill sets to collaborate with faculty and students who, like me, want to tell research stories combining digital and analog technology in the burgeoning field known as digital scholarship. Together, we鈥檙e making scholarly research more collaborative, more accessible, and more interesting to wider public audiences.

In your own words

There is an unhealthy and prejudicial stereotype that those librarians who embrace technology wholesale do not appreciate the analog or the 鈥渢raditional鈥 library values. I鈥檓 not sure if this comes from a lack of exposure to tech-savvy librarians or a fear-based tactic to defend a Luddite鈥檚 value in the institution, but we should celebrate how mad tech skillz and core librarian values are not an either-or. For more thoughts on what next-generation librarianship means and how it can revolutionize our profession in the best possible way, check out my thoughts on Library Lost and Found ().

Title:Assistant Professor of Practice & Digital Scholarship Librarian

Workplace:NYU Libraries

Location:New York, NY