The University of Tennessee Libraries is pleased to welcome five new librarians this semester. This talented group will serve the Libraries well in carrying out our mission of providing top-notch services to the university.

Tahirah Akbar-Williams joined UT Libraries in mid August of 2008 as Assistant Professor and Research Services Librarian. Tahirah is the subject liaison to Women’s Studies and Child and Family Studies. In addition, she works to provide outreach and instruction to specialized campus programs. Tahirah received her MLS from Indiana University. She taught Women’s Studies at Ohio State University and has been a teacher-librarian in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Outside of her professional life, Tahirah enjoys exercising and watching movies. She hopes to get back to her theatrical roots in the near future.

Allison Bolorizadeh began working as Assistant Professor and Instructional Services Librarian for User Education Technologies in July of 2008. Allison provides instructional support for subject librarians, particularly in the area of technology. She creates learning modules and websites and collaborates with subject librarians and teaching faculty to create class assignments. She received her MLIS from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa and is currently working on a PhD in Communication and Information here at UT. Allison enjoys traveling, reading mysteries, training her dog, Maggie, playing Scrabble, and shopping.

Bridger Dyson-Smith joined UT Libraries as Research Assistant Professor in Digital Library Initiatives in May of 2008. He brings expertise in digitization and transcription practices to the department. Bridger graduated from UT’s School of Information Sciences in December 2007. He worked as a graduate assistant in the Libraries’ technical services and digital access department and worked with the Arrowmont project as a student library assistant. When not at work, Bridger enjoys bicycling, playing with his cat, and drinking coffee. He occasionally plays the bass guitar.

Peter Fernandez joined the Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine Library in May of 2008 as Assistant Professor and Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Librarian. In his position, Peter provides reference services and collection development for the library. He also serves as the liaison to the Institute of Agriculture. Peter earned his MLIS at the University of South Florida and worked at the medical branch of South College before joining UT Libraries. Perhaps not surprisingly, Peter is a voracious reader with an appetite for a variety of genres, including biography, evolutionary biology, mystery, science fiction, and fantasy. He is also a passionate music fan.

Erin Moore began her appointment as Assistant Professor and Instructional Services Librarian for Undergraduate Programs in early August of 2008. Erin collaborates with librarians to offer tailor-made instructional, educational, and research support for students, faculty, and staff. She promotes library services across campus with an emphasis on reaching undergraduate students through contacts with the First-Year Composition program and the Student Success Center. Erin recently received her MLIS from the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois. When not immersing herself in all things library, Erin enjoys playing music, hula hooping, and cuddling with Edgar, her cat.