I am Tom Ipri, Head of Media and Computer Services at Lied Library at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. I direct the future of the libraries’ media collections and services and lead the development of the multimedia design studio, the learning commons, and the strategic evolution of multimedia services within the University Libraries. This must be what I do because I took it right from my job description. Right after “other duties as assigned.”

Photo by Cindi Trainor, some rights reserved

Prior to coming to UNLV, I was the Media Services Librarian, for 7 years, at La Salle University’s Connelly Library in Philadelphia, PA. In addition to developing a film collection, I oversaw the library’s Web site and contributed to the development of the library’s content in the university’s portal. At La Salle, I also taught freshman writing for the English department and a general education Humanities course.

In the past year, I have begun transforming the first floor of our library, with the help of my wonderful staff, into a more collaborative learning space by adding PCs with large screen monitors and wireless mice and keyboards to our group study rooms, by providing portable white boards, and by moving our media design studio to a larger, more user-friendly space. I spoke about these changes and some of the current theories about learning spaces at Computers in Libraries and at a workshop for the Metropolitan Library System in Chicago.

I discuss this and more at odd, unpredictable intervals on my blog Tombrarian. You can also find me in various places on the Web under that name.