UH Libraries welcomes Leo Martin as the new resource description librarian.

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

I’m very excited to be joining UH Libraries as their new resource description librarian. I primarily create catalog records for music scores, sound recordings, and special collections materials. I am also researching recent trends in popular music, including established and emerging microgenres like chopped and screwed music and vaporwave music.

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

Collaboration underpins all of the work I do, and is foundational in my approach to librarianship. I’m an educator first and foremost, and I try to center my approach to cataloging resources on discovery and accessibility. My first job in a library was actually as a student assistant at the UH Music Library over in the Moores School of Music building! After a stint in the Marines I knocked out my B.S. in Music Education and M.S in Library Science with a focus in music librarianship at the University of North Texas. I’ve also gigged and taught bassoon and oboe lessons over the years, and was previously the catalog librarian for the New England Conservatory of Music.

What is your first impression of the University?

I had the opportunity to visit campus in mid-February before COVID-19 and thoroughly enjoyed my time interacting with the UH community. It’s also a very good sign when students are in the library using resources and interacting regularly with the staff there. To also see how UH has navigated the uncertainty brought by the pandemic and both hire and onboard me is nothing short of impressive.