Shannon Crooks is a Ph.D. student in the Information Science and Technology Program at the Syracuse University iSchool. She currently has a Master’s in Library and Information Science and a Master’s and Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work. Before enrolling in the Ph.D. program, she worked as a supervisor of an urban library right outside of Washington DC in the Prince George’s County area of Maryland. While working in the library she strategized with her team on how to engage and support the community through programming and outreach. Shannon also participated in the library system’s Workforce and Community Develop Team and Equity Diversity and Inclusion Team in leadership roles. The Workforce and Community Development Team won the 2021 Top Innovator Award from the Urban Libraries Council for “Creating a Workforce Ecosystem” to support members of the community in the areas of entrepreneurship, workforce development training, and workforce resource awareness. Shannon has also led training at the Maryland State Library Conference in the areas of workforce and diversity. Prior to becoming a librarian, she spent several years working as a social worker in various roles such as foster parent trainer/recruiter/licensing specialist, foster care social worker, teen mom social worker, treatment plan writer, and teen mom life skills group facilitator. She feels the skills she has learned working in social work have enriched her librarianship skill set and continue to guide her librarianship practice when working with people in library communities to support lifelong learning, resource development, and resiliency.
Her research interest areas include social justice informatics, community engagement librarianship, academic publishing practices, and misinformation.
You can find Shannon art journaling or searching for rare plants to collect in her spare time.
Email: scrooks@syr.edu
