According to Jei Lee-Cullin, it was a “pivotal” teen services’ librarian from their high school years that brought them to where they are today.
“I was exposed to the whole world of libraries,” Lee-Cullin said. “They all seemed very fun.”
Lee-Cullin, who previously worked at the Albion District Library, is now Albion College’s research, instruction and innovation librarian.
Director of the Library and Head of Library Systems and Technology Jill Marie Mason said the role comes with managing the innovation lab and assisting with “electronic resources” the library has invested in.
Lee-Cullin said they approach their role with a mixture of care, respect for the “transformative potential of libraries” and “the fun of it.”
“If you’re going to be spending the better part of your day in a place, it should be somewhere fun,” Lee-Cullin said.
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, senior Cloud Rimer, who’s spent their time on campus watching the library evolve as both a student and an archives worker, said Lee-Cullin is “so detail-oriented and thoughtful.”
“I would go to the Albion District Library during FURSCA and specifically plan my visits around when Jei was working,” Rimer said. “They remembered my name and recommended books based on what I’d checked out before.”
A Philosophy Rooted in Access, Possibility
Lee-Cullin said although there are many types of libraries, public ones remain “one of the last, if not the last, truly democratic institutes we have in American society.” Public libraries, they added, allow anyone to enter “regardless of background or status,” leveling the playing field regarding access to information and resources.
Academic libraries like Albion College’s may differ in the populations they serve, but Lee-Cullin said the underlying mission does not change, as they support students’ “journeys and their academic pursuits, and also hopefully some fun pursuits.”
Mason said while looking for candidates, the hiring team “wanted someone with instructional experience, someone who would engage well with students and someone who is tech-savvy.”
Candidates were asked to perform a teaching demonstration, where Mason said Lee-Cullin’s presentation distinguished itself through its intentional design.
“It was interactive,” Mason said. “It had different elements, like a think-pair-share, an activity in the beginning to get everyone engaged with the topic and then in the middle, a more presentation style.”
Innovation Defined Through Practice
Innovation, a word that appears in Lee-Cullin’s title, means finding “creative solutions to vexing problems,” Lee-Cullin said.
Part of their job, Lee-Cullin added, is helping students navigate information and learn “how to filter and sort through it.”
“A lot of people come to college, and we don’t know exactly what they’ve learned throughout their previous education,” Lee-Cullin said. “Finding out where to start is a challenge.”
That challenge also shaped the redefinition of the position itself, which Mason said used to be called “bibliographic librarian.”
Mason added, “people might not understand what that means,” which is why the library chose a title that clearly reflects the electronic component of the research, instruction and innovation librarian role.
‘Emerging Technologies,’ Student Thought
In a digital age, Lee-Cullin said they approach emerging technologies – including AI – with both “openness” and “caution.”
“There’s a lot we can learn from AI and think of as a tool,” Lee-Cullin said. “But there is a line.”
Lee-Cullin added, “one of the major things that students are here to learn is how to think,” and outsourcing that work risks long-term consequences.
Mason said libraries must “play an active role in shaping AI,” preparing students to engage with it responsibly.
A Glimpse of What’s Ahead
Though still early in their tenure, Lee-Cullin said they’re already dreaming about future projects – particularly one to help students think creatively with technology and information: “a zine library.”
Mason said with “unlimited money,” the library would expand even further, with “a lot more different types of technologies that people wouldn’t be able to realistically have on their own, so that you can do amazing things with them.”
But more than any technology or space, Mason said she encourages students to engage with Lee-Cullin and “use the resources.”
“If you have any ideas on things you’d like to see from the library, stop by. Come chat about it,” Mason said.
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