Vitae for Phillips 1

Abigail Leigh Phillips

Address:

142 Collegiate Loop

Tallahassee, FL 32306

Phone:

(229) 395-6161

E-mail:

abigail.leighphillips@gmail.com

Website:

www.abigailleighphillips.com

Twitter:

@abigailleigh

EDUCATION
Doctor of Philosophy, Information Studies,
Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida

2012 April 2016

Specialist, Library and Information Studies,

Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
Focus: Leadership and Management

2010 - 2014

Master of Science, Library and Information Studies,

Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
Focus: Children and Youth Services

2006 - 2008

Bachelor of Arts, Major: Anthropology, Minor: History,

University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia

2004 - 2006

Associate of Arts, Major: Anthropology, Minor: History,

Darton College, Albany, Georgia

2002 - 2004

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Adjunct Professor, School of Information
Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida

Summer 2016

Lead Instructor, School of Information,

Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida

August 2015 Present

AL Direct News Assistant, American Libraries,

American Library Association

May 2015 - Present

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April 2015 August 2015

Contributor, Horizon Internet2 Project,

New Media Consortium
Research Assistant, School of Information,
Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida

September 2014 August 2015

Teaching Assistant, School of Information,

Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida

August 2012 August 2014

Editorial Intern, Journal of Education in Library and

Information Science (JELIS), Tallahassee, Florida

August 2012 August 2013

Librarian I, Lee County Library, Leesburg, Georgia

July 2008 July 2012

Library Intern, Goldstein Library,

Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida

May 2007 August 2007

Library Assistant, Lee County Library, Leesburg, Georgia

August 2007 June 2008

PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
Professional Librarian Certification, Georgia
Library Grade 5B
License No. LIB005261

TEACHING
Adjunct
Masters Level:
Public Libraries (Spring 2016)
Undergraduate Level:
Social Media Management (Summer 2016)
Lead Instructor
Undergraduate Level:
Introduction to Information Science (Fall 2015)
Introduction to Information Science (Spring 2016)

2008 2018

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Teaching Assistant
Undergraduate Level:
Information and Society (Spring 2013)
Information and Society (Fall 2013)
Introduction to Information Science (Fall 2013)
Introduction to Information Science (Spring 2014)
Introduction to Consumer Health Informatics (Spring 2014)
Social Media Management (Summer 2014)
Societal Implications of the Information Age (Summer 2014)
Social Media Management (Summer 2015)
Masters Level:
School Collection Development (Fall 2012)
Information Needs of Young Adults (Fall 2012)
Storytelling (Summer 2013)
Foundations of Information Professionals (Summer 2015)
Guest Lecturer:
Technology for Information Professionals, Undergraduate level course, College of
Communication and Information, Florida State University (Spring 2014)
Perspectives on Information Technology, Undergraduate level course, College of
Communication and Information, Florida State University (Spring 2014)
Perspectives on Information Technology, Undergraduate level course, College of
Communication and Information, Florida State University (Summer 2014)
Information Needs of Young Adults, Masters level course, School of Information, Florida State
University (Fall 2014)
IT Project Management, Undergraduate level course, College of Communication and
Information, Florida State University (Fall 2014)

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Perspectives on Information Technology, Undergraduate level course, College of
Communication and Information, Florida State University (Fall 2014)
Information Ethics for the 21st Century, Undergraduate honors course, College of
Communication and Information, Florida State University (Spring 2015)
Perspectives on Information Technology, Undergraduate level course, College of
Communication and Information, Florida State University (Spring 2015)
Information Ethics for the 21st Century, Undergraduate level course, College of Communication
and Information, Florida State University (Fall 2015)
Information Needs of Young Adults, Masters level course, School of Information, Florida State
University (Fall 2015)
Assessing Information Needs, Masters level course, School of Information, Florida State
University, (Fall 2015)
Information Ethics for the 21st Century, Undergraduate level course, College of Communication
and Information, Florida State University (Spring 2016)
Perspectives on Information Technology, Undergraduate level course, College of
Communication and Information, Florida State University (Spring 2016)
CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS
Public and School Libraries in the Florida Panhandle: Straddling the Digital Divide
K-12 schools have long relied on print resources, such as the standard subject area
textbook, to provide access to the curriculum. However, as many states attempt to implement
digital textbooks and digital curricula (Leading Education by Advancing Digital, n.d.),
educational leaders must shift focus from traditional materials to digital learning resources for
curriculum delivery. Policymakers from the State Educational Technology Directors Association
(SETDA) and the Leading Education by Advancing Digital (LEAD) Commission have
emphasized that as long as schools remain bound to print resources, they will be unable to
provide the equitable access to resources required by recent legislation such as No Child Left
Behind and Race to the Top. But where does this leave rural areas with poor access to Broadband
services? This research project is a collaboration between myself and Jennifer Leutkemeyer, a
Doctoral Candidate in the School of Information at Florida State University

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E-Government Virtual Reference from the State Library of Florida: A Qualitative Analysis of
Question Data from Ask a Librarian
Existing research about Ask a Librarian and other virtual reference services concentrates
mostly on chat reference for public, academic, and school libraries. Common topics include
library account access, technical support, and homework help. However, fewer studies discuss
the role virtual reference plays in provision of e-government information. The State Library of
Floridas role as a clearinghouse for such information provides an opportunity to study this issue.
In this study, the authors will examine question data for the year 2014 from the ten largest
Florida counties (Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Hillsborough, Orange, Pinellas, Duval,
Lee, Polk, Brevard). They will contrast this data with 2014 data from the ten smallest Florida
counties (Gulf, Dixie, Union, Jefferson, Calhoun, Hamilton, Glades, Franklin, Lafayette,
Liberty). To help the State Librarys operations, the authors will also collect data from Leon
County and possibly visitors from outside Florida. This choice of geographies provides a
representative example of the urban-rural divide in Florida, and it will make for a manageable
study.
The Empathetic Librarian: Rural Librarians as a Source of Support for Rural Cyberbullied
Young Adults
The primary focus of this dissertation is the integration of two perspectives: young adult
perceptions of librarian support for cyberbullied youth and librarians perceptions of the support
they provide cyberbullied youth. The integration of these perceptions will culminate in practical
recommendations regarding cyberbullying support for school and public librarians. Using video
autoethnographies and interviews with rural young adults, school librarians, and public
librarians, my research will highlight the types of support cyberbullied young adults need and the
ways in which librarians can provide this support. I successfully defended my dissertation on
Monday, February 8, 2016 and I am currently working on several journal articles based on this
dissertation.
Privacy, Anonymity, and Yik Yak: An Exploratory Study
During the 2014-2015 school year, I served as a research assistant to Dr. Warren Allens
experimental study of undergraduate perceptions regarding privacy and anonymity focusing on
the anonymous social networking app, Yik Yak. As a research assistant, I assisted in all aspects
of this project including literature searches, research design, study recruitment, data collection,
data analysis, and writing. Currently, my colleague and I are analyzing data and in the beginning
stages of writing two articles.
You Have My Empathy: What Empathy Looks Like in the Library
During this conversation starter at ALA Annual Conference 2015, I used current research
to highlight what empathy looks like in the library, why it is important, why it is so invisible,
how it can be used to support the work we do, and how to provide these services within
professional guidelines. Whether during reference, programming, or outreach, empathy plays an
essential role in everyday interactions between patrons and librarians. But these "soft",

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empathetic services are rarely openly discussed on the job and often unacknowledged by the
public. As a result of the success of my Conversation Starter, I am developing training that can
be incorporated into to instruct library staff on the role of empathy in library work and how they
can improve the empathy they currently provide patrons.
Digital Citizenship and Digital Literacy as Means of Preventing Cyberbullying Among Young
Adults
Information ethics is deeply rooted in the issue of cyberbullying. At the core of
cyberbullying are unethical online behaviors and the poor online relationships of youth.
However, this is one area where librarians and LIS researchers can help. This paper will
introduce digital citizenship and digital literacy as possible avenues for preventing cyberbullying
from occurring among young adults. Additionally, the paper will discuss the importance of
including digital citizenship and digital literacy in LIS curriculum. Digital citizenship is critical
for the intervention of cyberbullying. Through training on digital citizenship and digital literacy,
librarians can educate young patrons on ethical, safe, and responsible online activities. Along
with instructing future librarians in the basics of digital literacy and online behaviors, LIS
educators must incorporate digital citizenship into relevant coursework. Librarians can use this
information and training to develop programming, workshops, and training sessions for at-risk
youth once employed in libraries.
Lets Facebook It: Promoting Library Services to Young Adults Through Social Media
In this exploratory mixed-method study, I investigated how librarians use social media to
engage with young adult patrons and what roles these librarians perceive social media as having
for promoting library services. Additionally, the professional roles and responsibilities young
adult librarians perceive themselves portraying to young adult patrons through their librarys
social media presence are examined. In June 2015, I published an article in Public Library
Quarterly that focused on findings culled from the first part of this study (an online survey).
Currently, I am writing another paper incorporating findings from both parts of this study
(surveys and in-depth interviews).
Cats in Space: Educating Learners While Searching for Cat Likeness in NASA Satellite Images
This project began as part of the 2014 NASA Space Apps Challenge. Cats in Space is
an image collecting and organizing project, incorporating Flickr, Imgur, and Reddit. Users are
encouraged to upload, tag, and/or 'favorite' images of cat-like, cat-inspired, or cat-related images
of Earth or space. In addition to the Flickr, Imgur, and Reddit streams, an app has been
developed (http://catsinspace.x10.mx/) drawing from these streams. Through this engaging and
playful approach, users who are not familiar with satellite imagery of Earth and space will
develop an interest while searching for cat-likeness in landmasses, cloud formations, lakes, etc.
While browsing NASA satellite live streams and databases, users are exposed to the work that
NASA is producing, the importance of scientific research to the world around them, and the
beauty of our planet and universe. My collaborator, Julia Skinner, and I are currently working on
a paper for publication about the potential educational application for this app.

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FUTURE RESEARCH PROJECTS
Anonymity, Pseudo-anonymity, and Cyberbullying
After hearing from the young adult participants in my dissertation about anonymity, pseudoanonymity, drama, and cyberbullying, I am interested in delving deeper into the perceptions,
motivations, and views of this age group regarding cyberbullying. I believe that by learning more
about what teens truly perceive as drama, cyberbullying, and online aggression, we can develop
better ways to prevent and intervene in cyberbullying and support young victims.
The Future of Library Service to Young Adults
Additionally, my teen participants discussed their library use (or lack thereof) in the interviews
for my dissertation. Because of these interviews, I have become interested in the future of library
services for youth. Recently, the Young Adults Library Services Association (YALSA) released
a report, The Future of Library Services For and With Youth: A Call to Action which
encouraged aspects of my dissertation work and continues to serve as an indication that more
research is needed into the future of youth services. I am excited about the possibilities of
learning more about what changes need be made to library services for young adults and how we
can best meet the needs of this young and vibrant age group.
Trolling, Public Shaming, and Adult Cyberbully
Cyberbullying unfortunately are behaviors that both young adult and adults engages in on a
regular basis. As evidenced by Gamergate, this is a significant amount of harassment that is
going online, particularly aimed at females. Along with young adults, I am interested in learning
more about the motivations of adult cyberbullying particularly trolling, public shaming, and
workplace cyberbullying.

PUBLICATIONS
Refereed Journal Articles:
Phillips, A. (2014). More than just books: Librarians as a source of support for cyberbullied
young adults. Journal of Research on Libraries and Young Adults, 4(1). Retrieved from
http://www.yalsa.ala.org/jrlya/2014/05/more-than-just-books-librarians-as-a-source-ofsupport-for-cyberbullied-young-adults/.
Phillips, A. (2014). Systematic marketing facilitates optimal customer service: The marketing
audit of a rural public library system. Public Library Quarterly, 33(3), 1-16.
DOI: 10.1080/01616846.2014.937212
Phillips, A. (2014). What do we mean by library leadership? Leadership in LIS education.
Journal of Education in Library and Information Science, 55(4), 336-344.
Phillips, A. (In Print). Facebooking it: Promoting library services to young adults through social
media. Public Libraries Quarterly. 34(2), 1-20.

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Book Chapters:
Mon. L., & Phillips, A. (2015). Becoming social: Exploring library services for adults and teens
in social spaces. Advances in Librarianship, 39, 241-268.
Phillips, A. (Accepted). But what are teens doing online? Teenagers and digital media. Digital
media usage across the lifecourse. Surry, England: Ashgate Publishing Ltd.
Invited Magazine Articles:
Phillips, A. (2016). Highlights-The life of a YALSA Board Fellow. Young Adult Library
Services (YALS), Summer Issue, 4-6.
Invited Guest Blog Articles:
Phillips, A. (2013 September 22). How you too can transition from a librarian to a doctoral
student. Hack Library School. Retrieved from
http://hacklibschool.wordpress.com/2013/09/03/tips-for-transitioning-from-librarian-tophd-student/.
Phillips, A. (2014 February 28). Dont panic! Its only your first semester as a doc student.
Overworked TA. Retrieved from http://www.overworkedta.com/blog/2014/2/26/dontpanic-its-only-your-1st-semester-as-a-doc-student.
Phillips, A., Skinner, J., Frasier, Z., Spears, L., & Yu, C. (2014 June 28). Why we decided on the
PhD. Hack Library School. Retrieved http://hacklibraryschool.com/2014/06/28/why-wedecided-on-the-phd.
Phillips, A. (2014 July 31). Politics schmolitics! What does politics have to do with libraries?
Letters to a Young Librarian. Retrieved from
http://letterstoayounglibrarian.blogspot.com/2014/07/politics-schmolitics-what-dopolitics.html.
Phillips, A. (2014 September 17). Worrying about my post-PhD life. Letters to a Young
Librarian. Retrieved from
http://letterstoayounglibrarian.blogspot.com/2015/09/worrying-about-my-post-phd-lifeby.html.
Phillips, A. (2015 December 30). Top 5 YA and libraries research (but mostly from Pew
Reserch Center). YALSAblog. Retrieved from http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/2015/12/30/top-5ya-and-libraries-research-in-2015-but-mostly-from-pew-research-center/.
Phillips, A. (2016 January 13). What does Radical Change mean for YALSA and teen services?
YALSAblog. Retrieved from http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/2016/01/13/what-does-radicalchange-mean-for-yalsa-and-teen-services/.

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PRESENTATIONS
Refereed Posters at Conferences:
Phillips, A. (2014 January). More than just books: Librarians as a source of support for
cyberbullied young adults. Presented during the Works-in-Progress poster session at the
Association of Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) in Philadelphia, PA.
Phillips, A., Skinner, J., & Chatham, J. (2015 January 27). Cats in Space: Educating the public
while searching for cat likeness in NASA satellite images. Presented during the Works-inProgress poster session at the Association of Library and Information Science Education
(ALISE) Annual Conference 2015 in Chicago, IL.
Phillips, A. (2015 January 27). What do librarians really think? Exploring librarians
perceptions, attitudes, and use of social media. Presented during the Work-in-Progress
poster session at the Association of Library and Information Science Education (ALISE)
Annual Conference 2015 in Chicago, IL.
Phillips, A. (2016 January 7). The empathetic librarian: Rural librarians as a source of support
for cyberbullied rural young adults. Presented during the Work-in-Progress poster
session at the Association of Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) Annual
Conference 2016 in Boston, MA.
Phillips, A. (2016 March 22). The empathetic researcher: Applying research methods from
anthropology to LIS. Presented during the Poster Session at the iConference 2016 in
Philadelphia, PA.
Wood, J., Phillips, A., & Mardis, M. (Accepted). Public and school libraries in the Florida
Panhandle: Straddling the Digital Divide. Will be presented during the Poster Session at
8th International Conference on Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries in
London, UK.
Non-Refereed Posters at Conferences:
Phillips, A. (2013 September 19). More than just books: Librarians as a source of support for
cyberbullied young adults. Presented at 21st Century Literacies Lecture Series at Florida
State University in Tallahassee, Florida.
Refereed Papers at Conferences:
Phillips, A. (2015 January 29). Digital citizenship and digital literacy as means of preventing
cyberbullying among young adults. Presented during the Information Ethics Special
Interest Group panel session at the Association of Library and Information Science
Education (ALISE) Annual Conference 2015 in Chicago, IL.
Phillips, A. (2014 October 8). Lets Facebook it: Promoting library services to young adults

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through social media. Presented during the Library Research Seminar VI at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Refereed Presentations at Conferences:
Phillips, A. (2015 June 28). You have my empathy: What does empathy look like in the library?
Presented during the American Library Association Annual Conference 2015 in San
Francisco, CA.
Invited Presentations:
Phillips, A. (2015 May 6). Cyberbullying and the public librarian: How can I help? Presented as
a webinar for Public Library Association.
Phillips, A. (2016 June 20). Assessing and Improving your Library's Social Media Presence.
Will be presented at the upcoming Jewish Library Association Annual Conference.

AWARDS AND HONORS

Dissertation Research Grant, Florida State University

2015-2016

Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute (SSLLI) participant

2015-2016

YALSA Board Fellowship, America Library Association

2015-2016

Congress of Graduate Students (COGS) Travel Grant, Florida State University

2015

NASA Space Apps Challenge, 1st Place, Making Awesome, Tallahassee, FL

2015

NASA Space Apps Challenge, 2nd Place, Making Awesome, Tallahassee, FL

2014

Congress of Graduate Students (COGS) Travel Grant, Florida State University

2014

ALA Annual Student-to-Staff Scholarship, American Library Association

2013

Graduate Student Grant, Florida State University

Outstanding Student in Anthropology Award, Darton College
Georgia Hope Scholarship

2012- 2015
2004
2002-2006

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FUNDED GRANTS
Collaborator, 21st Century Literacy Lecture Series Interdisciplinary Team 2013, Florida State
University

SERVICE
Doctoral:
Committee Member, Academic Affairs Committee, 2013-2014, School of Information, Florida
State University
Committee Member, Development, Outreach, and Recruitment Committee, 2013-2016, School
of Information, Florida State University
Committee Member, YALSA Competencies Update Taskforce, 2014-2015, American Library
Association
Committee Member, YALSA Midwinter Paper Presentation Committee, 2015-2016, American
Library Association
Co-Convener, Doctoral Student Special Interest Group, 2014-2015, Association of Library and
Information Science Education
Chair, Doctoral Student Special Interest Group, 2015-2016, Association of Library and
Information Science Education
Member, Making Awesome, Tallahassees Makerspace, 2014-2015, Tallahassee, Florida
Committee Member, Leadership Development Committee, 2015-2016, Florida Library
Association
Member-At-Large, Library Research Round Table, 2015-2017, American Library Association
Committee Member, Governance Committee, New Members Round Table, 2015-2017,
American Library Association
Committee Member, ALA 2016 Local Arrangements Committee, Young Adult Library Services
Association, 2015-2016, American Library Association
Volunteer, Leon County Public Library System, Lake Jackson Branch Library, 2015 - Present
Professional:
Library Representative, Leadership Lee, 2008-2009, Lee County, Georgia
Library Representative, Lee County Family Connection, 2009-2012, Lee County, Georgia
Board Member, Lee County Family Connection, 2010-2012, Lee County, Georgia
Committee Member, Governance Nominating Committee, Young Adult Library Services
Association, 2016-2017, American Library Association
Committee Member, Nominating Committee, New Members Round Table, 2016-2017,
American Library Association
Chair, ALA 2017 Local Arrangements Committee, Young Adult Library Services Association,
2016-2017, American Library Association
Undergraduate:
Member, Honor Society, 2002-2004, Darton College
Secretary, Phi Beta Kappa, 2002-2004, Darton College
Member, Alpha Phi Omega, 2004-2006, University of Georgia

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MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL ORGRANIZATIONS

American Library Association (ALA)
American Library Association Student Chapter, Florida State University
Library Research Round Table (LRRT)
New Members Round Table (NMRT)
Public Library Association (PLA)
Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)
Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE)
Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL)
The Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T)
Florida Library Association (FLA)