Carrie Bell-Hoerth

Carrie Bell-Hoerth received a bachelor’s degree in English from Haverford College in Haverford, PA prior to completing a Master of Science in Library and Information Science at the University of Kentucky in May 2019.

Currently, Bell-Hoerth works at the University of Southern Maine Libraries as a library specialist.

“I work in the Access Services department, so I spend a lot o time at the desk, working with patrons. I’d say that this is both the biggest challenge and biggest reward of the job – you never know what sorts of questions you’ll get in a given day, but I love helping students come up with answers!” Bell-Hoerth said.

Throughout her time in the program she learned about the impact and influence that librarianship and information management have on the world. 

“One of my favorite classes was LIS 643: Archives and Manuscripts Management, because Professor Stacie Williams focused a lot on preservation and archival work as an act of creating historical record, conversations around archival work and social justice, and how librarians work to shift those paradigms,” she said. 

Having professional experience in access services coupled with an interest in academic libraries, she plans to continue exploring ways that academic libraries can collaborate with other university offices and departments to enhance students’ educational experiences.

“As mentioned above, I’m also interested in conversations about how we can diversity library professions and make libraries and academia more welcoming to historically marginalized groups,” she said. “I would like to continue focusing on making the library a space where everyone feels comfortable and welcome.” 

Outside of working in higher education, she plays saxophone and performs in community theater. Her advice for current students is to expand their creativity and idea of librarianship.