Laura Bowering Mullen

Laura Bowering Mullen headshot
Describe yourself in three words:

Prepared, engaged, friendly.

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

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I am reading "Reassembling Scholarly Communications: Histories, Infrastructures, and Global Politics of Open Access" (Martin Paul Eve & Jonathan Gray, eds.), "The Ragged Road to Abolition: Slavery and Freedom in New Jersey, 1775-1865" (James J. Gigantino II, author), and "Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over" (Nell Painter, author).

Describe ACRL in three words:

Inclusive, forward-thinking, fun.

What do you value about ACRL?

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ACRL has always been THE organization for academic librarians, and for me has been a great way to to meet colleagues and to collaborate with others in the profession. I have enjoyed and appreciated the leadership opportunities that I've been able to pursue as well as the professional relationships that have grown out of my membership in ACRL.

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

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My contribution as a science librarian has always been varied and dynamic, whether assisting researchers with discovery of relevant material, building research-level collections in my subject specialty, keeping up with discipline-specific scholarly communication and open science issues, or doing workshops on open access, while always bringing a perspective from outside service and scholarship to my local role as a library faculty member.

In your own words

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I have had a wonderful career as an academic science librarian. Over the years, there has always been something exciting happening in science librarianship and scholarly communication, and there have always been new avenues and interests to explore. The learning is constant, and what could be better than that? I am especially committed to, and enjoy immensely my work in areas of open access, including OA policymaking and implementation at Rutgers. I have a real passion for this work.

Credentials:she, her

Title:Behavioral Sciences Librarian; Open Access Specialist

Workplace:Rutgers University Library of Science and Medicine

Location:Piscataway, NJ