Reynolds, Judy
Date Updated
2-16-2020
Department
Library
Academic Rank
Librarian
Year Retired from SJSU
2006
Educational Background
San Francisco State College, Department of English, BA English, 1966
University of California - Berkeley, Library School, Master of Library Sciences, 1969
San Jose State University, Department of English, MA English, 1976
Teaching Experience
Graduate Division of Library Science, San Jose State University, Library 254 and 117 –“Literature of the Humanities” and “Introduction to Reference.”, 1980-1
Administrative and Professional Experience
1978-2006 Coordinator of Library Instruction/Program, Head, San Jose State University
1973-2006 Literature and Language Reference Librarian, San Jose State University
1971-2 Reference Librarian, part time, San Mateo Public Library
1970-1 Reference Librarian, Long Beach State College
1969-70 Head, Cataloging Department, Notre Dame University, Nelson, British Columbia
Service
Fall 2001 Member of English Department Committee awarded a CSU Information Competence Initiative entitled “Proposal to Integrate Information Competencies into the English Department”.
Selected Publications
“The MLAIB and Library Instruction in Literature and the Humanities”, 213-247 in Day, Betty H. Day and William A. Wortman eds. Literature in English: a Guide for Librarians in the Digital Age. Chicago, Association of College and Research Libraries, 2000.
“A Brave New World: User Studies in the Humanities enter the Electronic Age”, in The Reference Librarian, vol. 49/50, 1995. Also published in book form as Whitlatch, Jo Bell, ed., Library Users and Reference Services. New York, Haworth Press, 1995.
Editor, The Reference Librarian, vol. 47, 1994. Also published in book form as Reynolds, Judy, ed., Reference Services in the Humanities. New York, Haworth Press, 1994.
“Master's Candidates' Research Skills.” Research Strategies, vol 5, no.2 (Spring 1987).
“Academic Library Services: The literature of innovation” with Jo Bell Whitlatch. College and Research Libraries, vol. 46, no.5 (September 1985).
Files
Personal Commentary
Previously worked in a small university in Canada where we converted the Dewey collection to Library of Congress classification - even creating some of the classification structure that was not yet devised by LC. Also worked at Long Beach State College and San Mateo Public Library.
Arriving at San Jose State in 1973 I was the Library Liaison for English, Foreign Language & Linguistics and Language Development - a wonderful opportunity to work in the subjects I most loved and to have their faculties as my colleagues. As part of the CSU system movement toward faculty status for librarians, a second master’s was required for librarians and I was fulfilled this requirement by acquiring my English MA, enjoying this pursuit of one of my lifelong interests.
One of my goals upon acquiring a Library degree was to teach students to use the research tools in their majors - a bit of knowledge I felt my college education had not included. So in 1979 I initiated a program to incorporate a session on library research into the curriculum as part of their regular coursework. It began with a session in English 1B to teach the basics of finding books and articles in scholarly publications. Later a session was added into the 100W subject courses at the Junior level where students were introduced to research databases in their major. And this was capped with a session in each subject's graduate research methods course that covered more in-depth instruction on conducting a literature review appropriate ton their field of study.
I worked with faculty colleagues from the University on a variety of campus, CSU and State academic committees. A special joy was in the humanities on the boards of the Center for Literary Arts and the Beethoven Center.
I was actively involved in working to achieve salary equity for academic librarians - i.e., equal pay for equal worth for a predominately female occupation. I published and lobbied for the 10-month option which we achieved in 1976, sabbatical leaves granted in the 1983-1986 contract, and finally placement of librarian ranks on the faculty salary schedule in the 1987-1991 contract.
I was active in faculty union (CFA) and was Chair of the Political Action Committee which lobbied for funding for CSU and other CSU support issues.
My various activities on campus provided me with wonderful friendships and experience during my life at SJSU and in retirement.
Since retiring I moved to San Francisco where I can participate in many interesting activities. I am an active member of the San Francisco Osher Lifelong Learning Institute where I have taken across a broad spectrum of subjects including astronomy, art, music, history and walking tours of San Francisco. I also take a birding class and have birded in California, Oregon, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Scotland and the Netherlands. I enjoy photographing as part of this pursuit. I also attend the SF Opera and many other cultural activities.