Meet Jamie Gentry, Undergraduate Research Support Librarian

Jamie Gentry joined the University of Chicago Library as the Undergraduate Research Support Librarian in July. Jamie has an MS in Library and Information Science from University of Illinois, an MA in Latin American and Caribbean Studies from the University of Chicago, and a BA in Modern Languages from Kansas State University. Before joining the Library, Jamie worked as the Senior Program Manager for the Division of the Social Sciences, where she managed the Summer Institute in Social Research Methods, and served as the Student Affairs Coordinator for the Center for Latin American Studies.

Rebecca Starkey, Director of Teaching and Academic Engagement, asked Jamie a few questions about her background and her new position.

You’ve been at the University of Chicago in several different roles. What interested you in working at the Library?

I am passionate about working with undergraduates and have spent more than a decade supporting interdisciplinary curricular programs and research initiatives at UChicago. In my work as an administrator, I realized that year after year, students were approaching my programs with the same questions about the fundamentals of research. I knew that to build better programs that answered those questions, I needed to approach things from a research literacy perspective so I pursued my MS LIS to build those skills with the intention of applying them to a higher education setting. It is an absolute dream to be able to provide research education and support for undergraduates IN the Library in this new role.

This is a newly created position. What is your role as the Undergraduate Research Librarian?

As the Undergraduate Research Support Librarian, it is my job to help undergraduates navigate their research questions, no matter what stage of their project they are in. In my work I collaborate with fellow librarians and University faculty to design curriculum support and programs that help students understand how to use Library resources to conduct scholarly research across disciplines.

I am particularly passionate about helping diverse student groups understand how to use the Library to their advantage, especially first-generation and rural students. As a former rural student, I remember how overwhelmed I was when I first got to college and didn’t fully understand how to navigate academia or where to ask for help—I want to help make that transition a little bit easier for students at UChicago.

What are some of the unique ways the Library supports undergraduate researchers?

The library has a lot of amazing resources for our undergraduates, from our research guides to our programming to our Librarians. I am particularly excited about our new series of workshops, Research Refresh, which is designed to help students navigate research jargon, develop searching strategies, and find their voice as a scholar.

What do you like best about working with undergraduates?

I deeply admire the curiosity and passion of our undergraduate student body and find it immensely rewarding to provide support to students as they feed that curiosity.

Outside of the Library, what are some of your interests?

An easier question to answer might be what am I not interested in…I am passionate about engaging with my Chicago community and have spent a lot of time volunteering in my neighborhood community kitchen/food pantry as well as in my neighborhood community garden. I am an active vegetable gardener, maker of canned goods and baker of things both sweet and savory. I am also a voracious reader (with a particular love for magical realism and horror), a textile fanatic (especially when it comes to sewing and crochet) and an enthusiastic traveler (all road trips and flights to elsewhere welcome).