Latest Stories
Melissa Mallon says she owes her career as a librarian, in part, to her mother. After earning her undergraduate degree in English, she was contemplating graduate school when her mom suggested she pursue a master’s in library science. Mallon initially thought she’d become an archivist, but the opportunity to teach an undergraduate information technologies class “hooked” her, setting her on the path to academic librarianship. Ever since, her career has been focused on positioning the library as an essential partner for advancing the university’s teaching mission. She even authored a book, Partners in Teaching and Learning, on this critical topic.
Mallon came to Vanderbilt a decade ago as director of the Peabody Library and relished her time working with the library’s staff to bolster the teaching and research of faculty and students. In 2021, she was appointed associate university librarian for teaching and learning for the Heard Libraries system. “In this role, I get to work with our amazing librarians across all disciplines and help them think about their roles as teachers and how they can best partner with faculty to infuse research and critical thinking skill development throughout the curriculum,” she said. “I work with a fantastic team that supports the holistic student experience both in the classroom and around campus—and I feel so fortunate to do this work.”
What is your favorite part about your job, and why?
There are so many things I love about my job, but I particularly love getting to work with students. My department manages several library-sponsored fellowship programs, and this gives me the chance to work with students in a more focused way, connecting them with library and faculty mentors and giving them the opportunity to engage in unique projects.
I have mentored several cohorts of students for our Buchanan Library Fellowship program, and it is so much fun! I love working alongside students to take a deep dive into the ways information is consumed and created and seeing the diverse ways students approach these topics—for example, the spread of misinformation over social media platforms. In my fellowships, students get the chance to share their perspectives and ideas via a podcast, and it’s so fulfilling to see their dedication to creating accessible and open scholarship.
What’s a unique libraries resource that you think more people should know about?
One of my absolute favorite resources in the Heard Libraries is the Vanderbilt Television News Archive. This initiative has continuously been recording television news broadcasts since 1968, resulting in a wealth of data that can be used for a large variety of research projects.
In addition to the news broadcasts, users can also view the commercials that ran in between news segments. These commercials are useful for researching any number of topics, such as the way women are portrayed in commercials over the years or the way certain marketing techniques have changed over time. Plus, it’s a fun dose of nostalgia to watch commercials from when you were growing up.
Do you have a favorite hobby, activity or creative outlet?
When I want to relax, I like to spend time in the kitchen. I’ve been a vegan for over 20 years, which has provided me with a lot of time to experiment with plant-based cooking and baking. I like watching cooking shows and thinking about how to “veganize” the recipes using fresh ingredients. It gives me a creative outlet for sure. I recently attempted making vegan croissants for the first time. They were a lot of work, but so good!
