Robin Vance
Academic Librarian | Research Instruction, Digital Scholarship & Collection Development
Westhaven University Libraries
Dear Members of the Search Committee,
I am writing to express my interest in the Academic Librarian position at Westhaven University Libraries. With a sustained background in academic library research instruction, collection stewardship, and faculty liaison partnerships, I welcome the opportunity to support Westhaven's scholarly community across research consultations, curricular instruction, and collections management.
In my current position as Associate Academic Librarian at Vanderhoof University Libraries, I lead information literacy instruction and embedded curriculum support for over 1,400 undergraduate and graduate humanities students annually. This work involves designing instruction around scholarly resources and providing one-on-one research consultations for faculty monograph projects and graduate dissertation literature reviews. Additionally, I manage an annual collection development budget of $280,000 across history, literature, and interdisciplinary cultural studies collections, ensuring that research acquisitions directly align with departmental curricular priorities.
My previous service as Reference and Instruction Librarian at Briarcliff Institute of Higher Learning further expanded my liaison and digital accessibility initiatives. During my tenure, I partnered with faculty across eight academic departments to integrate Open Educational Resources into foundational general education courses, expanding access to vital course materials. Through subsequent project work, such as leading the migration of over 40 departmental course guides into accessible formats conforming to WCAG 2.1 AA standards, I have focused on ensuring library research pathways remain structured and accessible for all patrons.
I look forward to discussing how my experience in instructional design, budgetary stewardship, and student-centered reference support can contribute to Westhaven University Libraries. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Robin Vance