Research + Instruction Librarian at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. My professional work as a librarian focuses on fostering community in the library through collaborations, weaving critical librarianship into my initiatives, fighting mis/disinformation, and all things library outreach.

Photo by Jamie Kelter Davis

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Education

Master of Science in Library Science
University of Kentucky | Lexington, KY | Earned May 2018
Study focused on art librarianship, visual resource management, and information access.

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art | Drawing Concentration
Bachelor of Arts in Humanities | Art History & Literature Concentrations
University of Louisville | Louisville, KY | Earned May 2014
Summa cum Laude | Honors Scholar
Thesis projects completed for each degree

Positions in Academia

Research & Instruction Librarian, January 2020 – Present
John M. Flaxman Library | School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL

Arts Digital Projects Librarian, May 2019 – January 2020
Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library | Yale University, New Haven, CT

2018-2019 Kress Fellow in Art Librarianship, July 2018 – April 2019
Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library, Arts Library Special Collections, and Yale Center for British Art Reference Library | Yale University, New Haven, CT

Spring Break Graduate Student Intern, March 2018
Smithsonian American Art & Portrait Gallery Library l Washington, D.C.

Academic Coordinator, February 2017 – June 2018
University Honors Program l University of Louisville, Louisville, KY

Graduate Student Intern, May 2016 – July 2016
Margaret M. Bridwell Art Library | University of Louisville, Louisville, KY

Program Assistant, Sr., August 2014 – February 2017
University Honors Program l University of Louisville, Louisville, KY

Publications

Peer-reviews Articles

Streamlining Support: Improving Outreach by Creating a Sustainable Events Framework
Tess Colwell & Alex O’Keefe | Journal of Library Outreach and Engagement, Volume 1, Issue 2 | Fall 2021

Revealing Invisible Collections: Implementing the ARLIS/NA Artists’ Books Thesaurus to
Provide Online Access
Sarah Carter & Alex O’Keefe | Art Documentation, Volume 37, Issue 2 | Fall 2018

Reports

State of Art and Design School Libraries 2021
Emily Coxe, Emily Decker-Bess, Annemarie Haar, Grace Kim, Margot McIlwain Nishimura, Alex O’Keefe, & Abigail Sweeney | Art Libraries Society of North American | April 2022

Reviews

Run: Book One, John Lewis
ARLIS/NA Notable Graphic Novels Review | August 2022

CollectionBuilder
ARLIS/NA Multimedia and Technology Reviews | August 2022

Woman World, Aminder Dhaliwal
ARLIS/NA Notable Graphic Novels Review | June 2019

Against Our Will: Sexual Trauma in American Art Since 1970, Vivian Green Fryd
ARLIS/NA Reviews | May 2019

Moved to Tears: Rethinking the Art of the Sentimental in the United States, Rebecca Bedell
ARLIS/NA Reviews | March 2019

Presentations

#Bookstagram: Implementing Collaboration Social Media Training in the Library
Student Employment in Academic Libraries Symposium | Presentation | October 2022
Co-Presented with Alex Bortell

Zines! A Quick Intro to Zines and Their Educational Use
CARLI 10th Annual Instruction Showcase | Presentation and Zine Making Demo | May 2022

Working With What You Have: Utilizing an Event Management Framework
ARLIS/NA 50th Annual Conference | Poster Presentation | April 2022
Co-Presented with Tess Colwell

Outreach + Collaboration: A Newer Librarian’s Story
…Now What? Art and Design Research in the Wake of a Pandemic [Unconference] | March 2022

Modeling Mental Flexibility: Adapting Mind Mapping for the Virtual Classroom
CARLI 9th Annual Instruction Showcase | Presentation | May 2021
Co-Presented with Mackenzie Salisbury

Do it for the Gram: Exploring Programming Opportunities During COVID-19
Part of Panel: Outreach Convergence: Adapting Programming to COVID-19
ARLIS/NA 49th Annual Conference | Presentation | April 2021
Co-Presented with Mackenzie Salisbury

Ensemble@Yale: Telling Stories with Library Data
Part of Panel: Telling Stories with Library Data: Visualization Projects and Tools
ARLIS/NA 49th Annual Conference | Presentation | April 2021
Co-Presented with Lindsay King

Virtual Programming Using Instagram Stories
IACRL and RAILS, Spark: Connect and Get Fired Up! l Presentation | May 2020

Graphing Yale’s Theatrical History
Yale Digital Conference 2019 l Presentation | June 2019
Co-presented with Catherine DeRose

If You Build it, Will They Come? Revisiting and Revising Ensemble@Yale to Increase Participation and Data Collection
IFTR, Digital Humanities Working Group Meeting l Presentation | May 2019
Co-presented with Lindsay King

The Birren Button Campaign
ACRL Library Marketing & Outreach Interest Group Greater NYC l Presentation | April 2019

Ensemble@Yale
Beyond Boundaries: Fourth Annual Symposium l Digital Poster Presentation | April 2019
Co-presented with Lindsay King

Revitalizing Online Presence and Identity: Creating and Implementing a Six-Month Social Media Plan
ARLIS/NA 47th Annual Conference l Poster Presentation | March 2019

Not Just a Newsletter: Maximizing Your Scope and Reach
NCHC Conference l General Session Presentation | November 2017

Not Just a Newsletter: Maximizing Your Scope and Reach
Southern Regional Honors Council Conference l General Session Presentation | March 2017
Co-presented with Luke Buckman

Virtual Visitors to the Artists’ Books Collection: Making Fair Use Work for Your Online Project
ARLIS/NA 45th Annual Conference l Poster Presentation | February 2017
Co-presented with Sarah Carter

Metadata for the Win: Using the ARLIS/NA Artists’ Books Thesaurus to Meet User Needs
ARLIS/NA Mountain West Chapter Virtual Conference l Presentation | December 2016
Co-presented with Sarah Carter

Panelist

Arts + Special Collections Librarian Panel
ARLIS/NA Midstates Chapter Event | October 2021

Workshops

Lightbulb Moment: Share Your Ideas in a Zine!
Workshop with students at Moraine Valley Community College, IL | October 2022

Professional Service

Co-Chair, CARLI Instruction Committee | CARLI | July 2022 – Present

Member, CARLI Instruction Committee | CARLI | July 2021 – June 2022

Newer Attendee Outreach Volunteer, Local Arrangements Committee for the ARLIS/NA 50th Annual Conference | January 2022 – April 2022

Co-Website /Publicity/Social Media Coordinator, Local Arrangements Committee, ARLIS/NA 50th Annual Conference | June 2021 – April 2022

Co-Moderator, 2019-2021, Art Library Students & New ARLIS Professionals (ArLiSNAP) | May 2019 – June 2021

Chapter Liaison, ArLiSNAP | March 2017 – April 2019