Jackie Biger is an associate professor of instruction in the School of Library and Information Science in the Graduate College specializes in school librarianship, literature and resources for youth.

Tell us about your hometown; how did it shape you?

I grew up in West Des Moines, Iowa. When I think about how it shaped me, I was influenced less by the city or climate–and was more shaped by the community of people that I engaged with, and the family I was surrounded by. I have a lot of memories at my grandparents' houses, hanging with my cousins, playing outside all day and lots of climbing trees. I was given time and space to dream and be creative, yet the public schools in my community also influenced my capacity for curiosity and I had wonderful opportunities to try out a lot of pathways and have early jobs and volunteer opportunities.

Tell us about your hobbies/outside interests.

I love to read and listen to audiobooks while I work around the house. I garden and play video games and walk in the woods. I like camping and kayaking and going to plays and readings and performances. I love to volunteer at local schools and at camps.

What is your favorite hang out place?

In town: City Park Pool during the height of summer. One can see so many wonderful people from the community and it is fun to have your kids have friends at the pool, but also to have your own friends to chat with at the pool. In Iowa: Camp Hantesa in Boone, Iowa. It is a place my family has been attending for over 100 years. The woods and people I get to meet up with here are incredible. It is special to experience the same place as a child and as an adult.

If you were an animal, what would you be and why?

A squirrel or a house cat. A squirrel because they get to be outside all day, get swayed to sleep in their nests in the treetop, and eat delicious nuts. To the contrary–A house cat because they are pampered and petted and get to soak up sunlight beams.

What attracted you to the University of Iowa?

I am proud to work in a public university that was created for and is funded by the people of the State of Iowa. I grew up proud that our state prepares doctors, dentists, writers, musicians, engineers, and teachers. Specifically, with my interests in education and the preparation of our future citizens, I am pleased to work for the people of this state in an academic unit that prepares librarians to work in their own communities.

What is the best advice you received as a student and do you still follow that advice today?

The best advice I received was to ask questions. To notice and wonder. I do follow that advice today–it is the best way to understand the task at hand but to also find the next interesting idea.

Tell us about a project or achievement of which you are particularly proud.

I am proud of the children I once taught or had as a patron who are now serving their communities through teaching or librarianship. A career of service has a lot of heart, and one always hopes there are people who will take up the torch when you leave.

In what ways have you engaged with professional activities outside the institution (local, regional, national)?

I was just in Des Moines attending and presenting at the Iowa Technology and Education Connection (ITEC) conference. I am coordinating the execution of a collaborative curriculum on murals and public art between the Stanley Museum and the ICCSD 4th grade library and art classes. I am currently the State of Iowa field coordinator for a new three-year Laura Bush Institute of Museum and Library Services grant: “Extending School Library Preparation Through Transitional Mentorship with Early Career School Librarians.” In collaboration with Dr. Jenna Spiering, SLIS 2012 Alumna and Assistant Professor of Information Science at the University of South Carolina, this multi-phase grant will develop a mentoring network that supports school librarians in their efforts to champion core tenets of school librarianship. I am also co-editing an upcoming edition of the journal for the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) that celebrates the A in STEAM. It will highlight ways librarians collaborate in their schools with music and art classes.

How do you see your work impacting your field?

My hope is that my work in librarianship reminds us of the human element. Reference, reader's advisory, storytimes, library programming, library lesson planning for the school librarian–they all have a person/patron/student that is an integral part of the interaction. I hope to promote the incredible work teacher librarian professionals are doing across the state and country every day.

What changes are on the horizon for your work or your discipline?

School librarianship layers knowledge and skills from preschool through senior year. My hope is that more districts will see the importance of having a school librarian to support their literacy initiatives as well as teach lessons in media and information literacy and inquiry. That ability to pause and consider the source, who (or what AI program) created this piece of information? How does using this platform make me feel? Can I also ask complex questions and use my skill set to figure out how to answer them? A well-prepared teacher librarian is a good investment! They are poised to help across all curriculums and have the ability to see the big picture and how the disciplines interconnect.

What piece of advice would you give to today's students?

Show up and be present with the people in your classrooms and in your courses online. We are in an era of interacting with information in such a way that we are constantly in cognitive overload. Being present and making the decision to be all in with the subject, the readings, the people of your classes will not only make the learning richer but remind us of our interconnectivity.

In closing, what words of wisdom would you like to share, what quotation or person inspires you, what does the next chapter look like?

If you have the opportunity to share a picture book with someone, do. What a gift of a shared moment!