April Parker 1507 Elwood Avenue │ Greensboro, NC 27403 │ (862) 588-1521 aprilparker83@gmail.com EDUCATION Masters of Library and Information Studies Expected May 2013 University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), Greensboro, North Carolina Bachelor of Art in Sociology 2010 Kean University, Union, New Jersey Associate of General Science 2006 Graduated with honors cum laude Virginia Western Community College, Salem, Virginia PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE UNCG Harold Schiffman Music Library, Greensboro, NC Lead Student Worker (August 2012-present) ● Provide reference services, including research utilizing the Internet and various databases ● Manage circulation functions using Sirsi Dynix system ● Curate, assemble, and arrange materials for the “Women of Jazz” display ● Organized “Women in Jazz” Program; an evening of children’s stories and performances ● Assist patrons with the use of AV equipment (materials, laptops, cameras, etc.) UNCG Jackson Library, Greensboro, NC Reference Intern (August 2012-March 2013) ● Assist scholars and faculty with research efforts via phone, chat, email, and face-to-face contact ● Analyze patrons’ requests to determine needed information and assist in furnishing or locating that information ● Provide reference and research assistance within multiple disciplines including Health, Social Science, Business, and Humanities ● Provide excellent customer service when assisting patrons in locating materials, using computer terminals, using microfilm and accessing digital resources. ● Advise patrons of library policies UNCG Women and Gender Studies (WGS), Greensboro, NC Department Library Graduate Assistant/Special Library Consultant (August 2012present) ● Initiated and maintained the Intersectionality Information Alliance; a Collaborative Collection Development Program ● Served as a liaison between all involved Intersectionality Information Alliance parties; including UNCG WGS Department and Library committee, Guilford College LGBTQ coordinator and student staff, and The Eternal Summer Black Feminist Mind Lending Library. ● Curated Read OUT Loud exhibit “Read OUT Loud,”, is a captured opportunity to combine activism, books and identity through art. Using the medium of photography, this exhibit addresses the absence of LGBTQ lives in literacy campaigns, mainstream education, and the healing through bibliotherapy.” Promotion, written by April Parker ● Developed library procedures, policies, and strategic planning
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Organized collections of books and reference materials for convenient access Organized Library-sponsored lectures, outreach programming which is WGS Library specific, events, and mounting exhibitions Catalogued and organized display materials Assisted with web maintenance Trained and supervised new employees in regard to Library procedures and policies Created a tutorial/orientation about navigating the catalog Organized WGS/LIS department intern program; created job description Organized and Committee Member of the WGS Library Advisory Committee Secured $500 in funding from private donor for library budget
Guilford College Bayard Rustin Center for LGBTQQA Activism, Education & Reconciliation, Greensboro, North Carolina Collection Manager, Intern (January 2012-Present) ● Oversee the Interlibrary Lending operations ● Create quarterly displays ● Assist with volunteer recruitment, and train potential volunteers ● Assist with website development ● Provide information literacy instruction for those interested in research pertaining to the LGBTQQA population ● Develop strategic planning, library operating procedures, and policy ● Initiate and manage book drives by contacting and maintaining communication with potential donors ● Grant writing ● Organized book talks, and hosted traveling exhibit Elsewhere Museum and Living Library, Greensboro, North Carolina Outreach/Program Coordinator (January 2012-May 2012) ● Established and facilitated reading group, Queerly Beloved: Greensboro’s LGBTQ Literature Circle that catered to the LGBTQ people of color population (on-going) ● Assisted with diversity initiative outreach via social media, email, and phone ● Initiated collaborative relationships with local organization including Glenwood Recreation Department, The Boys and Girls Club of the Americas, and The Beloved Community Center ● Conducted local research to identify and address public service needs ● Assisted with public events, and helped staff the library North Carolina Agricultural and Technology State University (NC A&T) F. D Bluford Library, Greensboro, North Carolina Library Intern (October 2011-August 2012) ● Handled and digitized historic archival material ● Created bibliographic MARC records, abstracts, subject heading for original works ● Catalogued records into an Integrated Library System ● Conducted “Lift Every Voice : A Needs Assessment of LGBTQ services and collection at a HBCU Academic Library.” Assessment of LGBTQ literature quality and quantity and overall cultural climate of the university. ● Assisted in the design of NC A&T’s Safe Zone outreach materials, created Library Safe Zone exhibit that was shown within Bluford Library January 2012 through May 2012 ● Assisted in grant research and proposals for $5,000 and $10,000 respectively
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Created purchasing lists to improve LGBTQ collection holdings
VOLUNTEER WORK Queer People of Color Collective of the Triad (QPOCC), Co-founder and Lead Organizer (October 2010-present) ● Organized and collaborated with national organization, Sistah Sinema and local Geeksboro Coffeehouse Cinema to host a monthly LGBTQ movie. ● Founder and Facilitator of monthly meetings of Queerly Beloved: Greensboro’s LGBTQ Literature Circle. Focus is primarily readings pertaining/written by people of color. ● Creator and Facilitator of Rainbow Readings Program: Storytime that is inclusive of LGBTQ children’s literature. ● Organize and facilitate monthly general assembly meetings at Glenwood Recreation Center ● Partnered with Protect ALL NC Families for fundraising events (April 2012) ● Organize community based projects and events: Meet and Greet, Story Telling, ● Represented QPOCC at many meetings UNCG Student Chapter of the Progressive Library Guild, President Recognized student organization (September 2012- present) ● ● ● ● ● ●
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Secured and awarded post proposal, $175.00 in funding from the UNCG Multicultural Resource Center to organize a Human Library. Organized Fundraising Ventures Collaborated with several organizations, and student groups, to build relationships, provide community service. Proposed and Partnered with Glenwood Neighborhood Association to host Book Swap events (December 2012, March 2013) Organized Book Drive for Reading Connections, Interactive Resource Center and Prison Books Organized, facilitated and collaborated with the student group Library and Information Studies Student Association (LISSA) to host a discussion forum, “Dinner, Dessert, and Discussion”, to create a platform for critical discourse regarding library issues. Initiated and organized grassroots advocacy launched on behalf of the UNCG Jackson Friends of the Library.
Greensboro Public Library-Glenwood Branch, Greensboro, North Carolina Volunteer (November 2010- June 2011) ● Organized collection and shelved books ● Provided customer service Reading Connections, Greensboro, NC ESOL & Adult Literacy Teacher (August 2010- June 2011) ● Organized field trips, taking monthly excursions to Greensboro Historical Museum and Greensboro Downtown Central Library ● Assisted participants in acquiring library cards ● Taught weekly English and grammar instruction to non United States natives ● Attended volunteer trainings ● Kept current records of classroom attendance and updates AWARDS Academic and Cultural Enrichment (ACE) Scholar 2011-2013, UNCG
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Joanne B. Craft Adult Student Scholarship 2012 IDeal Summit Poster Presentation 3rd place, 2012. Poster Presentation: Don’t Confuse my Discomfort for Information Illiteracy: How Culturally Competent Librarians Can Foster and Information Literate Society Warrior Healer Scholarship (Community Award) 2013 PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS UNCG Student Chapter of the Progressive Library Guild, President and Founder UNCG Jackson Library Student Library Advisory Committee, Secretary Queer People of Color Collective of the Triad, Lead Community Organizer/Cofounder American Library Association Black Caucus of the American Library Association Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Round Table Progressive Library Guild Nations Organization Southerners on New Ground (S.O.N.G) PRESENTATIONS/CONFERENCES North Carolina Library Association (NCLA) 59th Biennial Conference: Libraries: The Next Generation (October 2011). Panellist: Transforming the Education of Diverse Students: Learning Through Dialogue with the Next Generation of Librarians North Carolina Agricultural and Technology State University, Masters Level Social Work Class (March 2012). Panellist: Discussion about Intersections of Oppression. University of North Carolina at Greensboro Graduate Student and New Professionals Research (April 2012). Poster Presentation: Lift Every Voice: A Needs Assessment of LGBTQ Services at Bluford Library, NC A & T State University. 2nd Annual Joint Conference of Librarians of Color (JCLC), Kansas City Missouri, (September 2012). Ignite Session/Speaker Presentation: Cultural Competency and Librarianship. University of North Carolina at Greensboro 4th iDeal Summit: Information Literacy Across the Lifespan (November 2012). Poster Session (collaboration presentation), 3rd place winner: Don’t Confuse my Discomfort from Information Illiteracy: How Cultural Competent Librarians Can Foster and Information Literate Society. Created handout. Rainbow Readings Program Series of LGBTQ story time throughout the Triad (November 2012-present). Creator and Presenter. Hosting Locations: Glenwood Branch Library and Winston Salem Central Library (November 2012), High Point Public Library (May 2013). Assisted the Director of Children’s Literature in GPL in developing LGBTQ literature suggested reading list to illuminate LGBTQ holdings found in their collection using an unpublished assessment I co-authored titled, Out and Loud in the Library; a Study of the accessibility, existence, or absence of LGBTQQ literature within Greensboro NC Public Libraries. Created supporting handout and exhibit (viewing/distribution April 2013) Parker, A. (March 2013-May 2013). Read OUT Loud exhibit. Greensboro, NC; UNCG Multicultural Resource Center. Shown at the UNCG Multicultural Resource Center Curated and Presented Artist Talk
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Parker, A. (March 23, 2013; April 1, 2013) . Artist Talk, Hosted: Queer Covers traveling exhibit. Lesbian Herstory Archives; Brooklyn, NY Upcoming: University of North Carolina at Greensboro ACE Scholar Un-Hushed Conference 2: From Talk to Walk: A Multicultural Information Skillshare (upcoming April 6, 2013) Chair of Planning Committee, Organizer of the Human Library Session, and sole-fundraiser secured $2,000.00 (including monies and gift donations). Lecture Series (Future Date April 11, 2013). Guilford College, Bayard Rustin Center. Designed and presenting an Information Literacy Instruction: Information Literacy for LGBTQ Research Methods: How to Get Resourceful to get to the Resources. SEWSA Conference (Future Date April 20, 2013). Workshop/Self-Guided Tour: We Are a Part of the Story: A LGBTQ Legacy Literacy Campaign. The Conference for Entrepreneurial Librarians Social Entrepreneurship in Action. (Future Date May 2013). Panellist: How to Provide Cultural Competent Service to LGBTQ students. “Lift Every Voice : A Needs Assessment of LGBTQ services and collection at a HBCU Academic Library.” Assessment of LGBTQ literature quality and quantity and overall cultural climate of the university. Poster Presentation. ● Poster was accepted into the international conference LGBTI ALMS 2012 The Future of LGBTI Histories. ● Poster will be presented at the BCALA 8th National Conference of African American Librarians. (Future Date August 2013). CERTIFICATIONS/TRAININGS Daring to be Powerful Community Organizing Training of the Audre Lorde Project, New York (May 2011) UNCG Multicultural Resource Center inaugural year of the Reclaiming Ourselves Organizing Together for Social Justice (R.O.O.T.S) Institute (April 2012) OTHER EXPERIENCE Prudential, Roseland, NJ Short-term Disability Claims Manager (May 2010 – October 2006) ●
Managed national accounts; Processed disability claims and oversaw distribution of funds; Maintained on-going contact via email and/or telephone for both clients and customers; Resolved customer service issues
Home Shopping Network, Roanoke, VA Customer Service Representative (October 2006 – July 2004) ●
Received inbound calls and obtained order information; Provided Product Information; Troubleshot shipping arrangements; Negotiated payment arrangements
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Honey Tree Learning Center, Roanoke, VA Lead Teacher (July 2004 – June 2003) ●
Provided daily academic and social enrichment to a classroom of 15 toddlers; Acted as a liaison between parents and administration; Ensured maintenance of property and classroom; Supervised assistant teachers
Discovery Childcare, South Orange, NJ Teacher (June 2003 – March 2000) ●
Began as Assistant Teacher, later promoted to Lead Teacher of preschoolers; Constructed components of curriculum; Created semi-annual choreographed performances for youth
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