RESUME

Reference and instruction librarian specializing in patron-centered services, making patrons feel at ease with asking research questions. Innovative, flexible and highly creative intellectual with a wry sense of humor and proven abilities in writing, project management and design. Detail-oriented digital strategist and content manager with more than 15 years’ experience managing print and digital marketing projects.

Education

  • Master of Science in Library Science
    University of North Texas, Denton, TX (2021)
  • Master of Arts in English
    Loyola University of Chicago, Chicago, IL (2002)
  • Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education
    Bachelor of Arts in English
    University of Missouri, Columbia, MO (1997)

Professional experience

Texas Woman’s University

Dallas, TX
2022 – present

The nation’s largest university system focused on women, cultivating engaged leaders and global citizens by leveraging its historical strengths in health, liberal arts, and education.

  • Manager, Dallas Campus Library (2023-present)
    • Liaison for other organizational offices on Dallas campus. Meet with Student Life, IT and Operations to communicate about campus activities and building needs.
    • Chief advocate for campus library with staff in Denton and faculty across all three campuses.
    • Work with campus partners to improve access to services intended to reduce food insecurity among students, including the promotion of partnerships with a local food bank.
  • Health Sciences Librarian (2022-present)
    • Partner with faculty to teach search skills and information evaluation techniques to graduate students in their respective programs.
    • Develop search strategies for graduate students and faculty working on literature reviews, scoping reviews, and systematic reviews.
    • Work with colleagues on campus and in Denton to create displays that educate and engage students.
    • Collaborated with occupational therapy department and special collections to develop an online guide and physical display celebrating an annual lectureship.

Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX
2019 – 2022

A nationally-ranked private university, and a distinguished center for global research with a liberal arts tradition.

  • Temporary Social Sciences Librarian (2021-2022)
    • Developed and delivered one-shot instruction sessions on library services and information literacy in collaboration with social sciences and first-year writing instructors.
    • Provided workshops on citation styles and social sciences resources as part of the Instruction team.
    • Consulted with students to explore library resources strategically, and staffed library chat to help researchers on and off campus.
    • Consolidated social sciences guides and worked with Guides team to apply new formatting to research guides across SMU Libraries.
  • Research & User Experience Intern (2019-2021)
    • Provided front-line research support to anyone seeking help, via chat, email, phone, and in-person service.
    • Expanded juvenile literature collection to improve representation of diverse voices and stories.
    • Supported instructors for Digital Humanities Research Institute, proofreading online modules and facilitating online discussions about conference content.
    • Led outreach events and staffed tables for voter education, first-generation students, and finals week on campus.

Freelance Website Marketing Strategist & Copywriter

Hoboken, NJ; Atlanta, GA; Bethesda, MD; and Dallas, TX
2008 – 2022

Chosen by two separate physical therapy companies to maintain their websites and work on other marketing projects as needed.

  • PTPN, Calabasas, CA (2008-2022)
    A leading membership network of physical therapists that negotiates contracts for its members and protects their rights as private business owners.
    • Led the company through two complete redesigns of their B2B website, ptpn.com, in 2009 and 2018. In 2009, redesigned site map and integrated WordPress into the backend of the site. In 2018, simplified the site to make it mobile-friendly on the front end and easier to update on the back end.
    • Maintained the company’s website for consumers, physiquality.com. Launched a redesign of this site in December 2021.
    • Began writing semimonthly blog entries in 2011 on health, wellness and fitness topics, and wrote semimonthly blog entries on the business of physical therapy from 2012 to 2015.
  • EDUCATA, Calabasas, CA (2008-2020)
    An online learning community for rehabilitation therapists.
    • Oversaw production of all new presentations, coordinating communication between eProfessors, production team and management as necessary. Promoted to Director of Production in 2015, supervising a group of production subcontractors.
    • Managed applications for CEU status in the 23 states that require such approval. In 2015 and 2016, managed expansion of site to include occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists.
    • Headed a project co-sponsored with the Oncology Section of the American Physical Therapy Association to offer specialization workshops in edema management in NJ and CA in 2018 and 2019.
    • Maintained copy and course data throughout company website.
    • For five years, created and sent bimonthly eblasts promoting courses and offering special promotions.

Hired by a website design firm as a copywriter/editor and quality assurance contractor, and worked with smaller companies to create and maintain their websites.

  • Eat Sleep Work, El Segundo, CA (2013-2014, 2021)
    A creative agency that does graphic design for a variety of platforms.
  • Four Corners Creative, New York, NY (2011-2013)
    A locally-owned studio offering classes in dance, acting and singing to children in Manhattan.
  • Abbey Bell Catering, Hoboken, NJ (2011)
    A small, local catering company that offers catering for events, cooking lessons, and weekly menus.

Marketing Communications Specialist

PTPN, Calabasas, CA
2007 – 2008

A leading membership network of physical therapists that negotiates contracts for its members and protects their rights as private business owners.

  • Led the creation of physiquality.com, finding the design company, creating a site map, overseeing all production, and maintaining all copy on the site once completed.
  • Maintained B2B website, working directly with graphic designers to continually update content.
  • Created a style guide for regional and national offices to follow.
  • Created print and electronic postcards and newsletters for members and payers.

Catalog & Website Specialist

Discovery Education (formerly Clearvue & SVE), Chicago, IL
2003 – 2006

Leading provider of educational content via VHS, DVD, and digital video; a division of Discovery Communications, Inc.

  • Selected all product for print and online catalogs, working with purchasing to set prices.
  • Oversaw all catalog production, working with art department from first page drafts to approving final proofs.
  • Analyzed e-commerce site and determined improvements to usability and functionality for site overhaul. Uploaded new products and maintained current listings.
  • Developed process for creating content for new streaming media site.

Publications

  • Hintz, L.A., Maas, C., Bliss, J.R., & Pizarro, E. (2024). School-based occupational therapy and multitiered systems of support in the United States: A scoping review. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention. https://doi.org/10.1080/19411243.2024.2315577

Presentations

  • Mirza, R., Godat, E., McMichael, J., & Bliss, J.R. Develop your own Digital Humanities Research Institute. Fort Worth, TX. Texas Library Association Annual Conference. April 2022.
  • McMichael, J., & Bliss, J.R. Building more diverse collections for younger readers. Denton, TX (given virtually). Cross Timbers Library Collaborative Conference. August 2020.

More information on research and presentations.

Awards

Florence Richardson Wilhite Endowed Scholarship

University of North Texas, Denton, TX
2020

Friends of the SMU Libraries Library Science Scholarship

Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX
2020

Additional training

  • Multiple webinars in the Systematic Review Services Specialization offered by the Medical Library Association, 2022-present.
  • Institutional Review Board Training, Citi Program (18 modules). 2023.
  • Scoping Review Workshop, Joanna Briggs Institute and Texas Christian University (attended virtually). 2023.

More information on conferences and seminars attended.

Professional memberships

  • American Library Association
  • Association of College and Research Libraries
  • Medical Library Association
  • Texas Library Association

Academic service

Texas Woman’s University

  • Member, Dallas Campus Institutional Review Board Committee, 2023-present.
  • Member, Eat Well Committee, 2023-present.
  • Member, Mind Well Committee, 2022-2023.

TWU Libraries, Texas Woman’s University

  • Member, Staff Training Committee, 2023-present.
  • Member, Diversity Committee, 2022-2023.

SMU Libraries, Southern Methodist University

  • Member, Guides Committee, 2021-2022.
  • Member, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA) Committee, 2020-2022.
  • Member, SMU LEAD committee, which produced staff development/continuing education programs for library staff, 2019-2022.
    • Promoted LEAD events across SMU Libraries.
    • Worked with LEAD team members to organize and lead Lunch and Learn seminars.
  • Member, Information Literacy Stipend committee, which reviewed applications for a biannual stipend to encourage the teaching of information literacy with the partnership of SMU librarians, 2020.

UNT Library & Information Sciences Student Association, University of North Texas

  • Alumni mentor to LIS students, 2022.

Skills

  • Patron-centered reference services, making patrons feel at ease and comfortable with asking questions about their research.
  • Expert at analyzing website flow and redesigning a site’s architecture in order to maximize user experience.
  • Prolific writer on a variety of topics. Able to gather scholarly and clinical information and repackage it for consumers and patrons.
  • Experienced in basic HTML and WordPress, knowledgeable of Joomla and Git, and familiar with LibAnswers and LibGuides. Quick to learn other custom content management software.

Additional experience

Volunteer

  • Active member of and volunteer for the Mizzou Alumni Association.
    • Member since 2011 of the Griffiths Leadership Society for Women, a select group of alumni of and collegians at the University of Missouri dedicated to leadership development, mentorship and lifelong learning.
      • Past President, 2023-2024.
      • President, 2022-2023.
      • President-Elect, 2021-2022.
      • Panelist, Spring 2022 Conference: Caring for Aging Parents.
      • Co-Chair, Awards and Recognition Committee, 2019-2021. With co-chair, led committee to select scholarship and award winners in 2020 and 2021. Presented scholarships and awards at virtual conferences in October 2020 and March 2021.
      • Led virtual book club discussions, 2021-2024.
      • Planned and hosted local happy hours in Dallas, 2019, 2021-2023.
    • Mizzou 18 judge for recognition of outstanding graduate students (paper round), 2024.
    • Scholarship reviewer for at-large, legacy and diversity scholarship applicants, 2019-2024.
    • Homecoming Court judge (paper round), 2022.
    • Launched and maintained the website for the Atlanta chapter of the MAA as Secretary of chapter, 2012-2015.
    • Maintained the website for the NYC chapter of the MAA as Secretary of chapter, 2009-2012.
  • Volunteer, Lone Star Bulldog Rescue, Dallas, TX, 2023-present.
  • Communications Co-Chair and Board Member of the Friends of the University Park Public Library, a non-profit group that raises money for the community library in the town of University Park, TX, 2018-2020.
    • Website committee and copywriter for site redesign, 2020.
  • Volunteer at Bradfield Elementary Library in the Highland Park Independent School District, Dallas, TX.
    • Co-Chair, Gift Books, 2019-2021. Worked with the school librarian to oversee the monthly distribution of and recognition of parental donations of books given to the library on behalf of their children.
    • Shelved books and helped students check out and turn in materials, 2018-2022.
  • Member of Elle magazine’s Readers’ Prize panel from 2011 to 2016; was periodically asked to read and review a group of three books for publication.

Personal

  • More than 40 years of dance training in tap, jazz, ballet, ballroom and modern. Have studied at such studios as Joy of Motion in Washington, D.C.; Dance 101 in Atlanta, GA; Dance New Amsterdam (now Gibney Dance) in New York, NY; and the Lou Conte Dance Studio (associated with the Hubbard Street Ballet) in Chicago, IL.
  • Taught 8th grade social studies and English for three years.
  • Eight years on and off in retail with the Gap/Banana Republic as salesperson and cashier.

CV version.

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