Carolina Hernandez

University of Houston Libraries welcomes Carolina Hernandez as the new instruction librarian.

Please describe your role at UH Libraries and talk about some of your professional goals.

I will be teaching instruction sessions for several foundational undergraduate courses, such as English composition, as well as supporting my colleagues in designing, teaching, and assessing other face-to-face and online instruction across disciplines. I am excited to work with such a diverse student population, and my goal is to make information literacy as accessible as possible to the students of UH.

Please share a bit about your background and interests. How do these inspire and shape your approach as a librarian?

My undergraduate major was French, but my first MA was in Media Studies. This served me well in my first position as journalism and communication librarian at University of Oregon. While working with the School of Journalism and Communication there, I started to do more and more instruction. I really started to enjoy that part of my position more, which is what ultimately led me to my new position! My views on instruction have evolved quite a bit over the last few years, though, through this experience and from learning from colleagues. I realized a one-size-fits-all model doesn’t really work in the classroom and that it’s important to teach in a way that can work with different learning styles and needs.

What is your first impression of the University?

I’m very impressed! So far, everyone has been incredibly welcoming, and I love how genuinely invested my colleagues are in helping students. I also love how diverse the university is and how there’s always something going on. The campus feels so alive! Houston itself is wonderful as well, and I’m really excited to keep exploring everything it has to offer.

What is your favorite hobby?

My main hobby right now is collaging, particularly with vintage images found in old books, magazines, and other paper materials. I know that’s a weird thing to admit as a librarian, that I like to cut up books, but I only use books that have been donated or discarded. I like to think of it as giving them a second life.