Jessamyn West
PO Box 345
Randolph, VT 05060
802-234-8910
jessamyn@gmail.comPO Box 345
Randolph, VT 05060
802-234-8910
linkedin | jessamyn.info | librarian.net | jessamyn.com
..:CURRENTLY:..
Technologist, activist, educator, writer.
Flickr Foundation --
Community Manager [2023 - present]
Vermont Mutual Aid Society --
Consultant [2017 - present]
..:WORKING:..
Computers in Libraries --
Columnist [2008 - 2023]
Randolph Technical Career Center --
Community Technology Librarian [2005 -
2020]
University of Hawaii LIS Program --
Adjunct Lecturer [2016 - 2018]
Harvard University Library Innovation Lab --
Research Fellow [2016 - 2017]
Internet Archive/Open Library --
Project Manager & Library Liaison [2014 -
2017]
Medium.com's The Message --
Writer [2014 - 2015]
MetaFilter.com --
Community Manager/Director of Ops. [2005 -
2014, 2020 - 2021]
Tunbridge Public Library --
Technology Librarian [2008 - 2010]
Rutland Free Library -- Outreach
Librarian [2003 - 2005]
Google Answers -- Researcher [2002]
Speakeasy Network -- Support Tech/Knowledge Base Manager [2000 - 2001]
Gates Center for Technology Access -- Educational Researcher
[1999]
Shoreline Community College -- Reference Librarian
[1998 - 1999]
..:WRITING:..
books"Independent Librarian," chapter in Careers in Library and Information Services. Bloomsbury [2025]
Without a Net - Librarians Bridging the Digital Divide. Libraries Unlimited [2011]
"Technophobia, Technostress, and Technorealism," chapter in Information Tomorrow: Reflections on Technology and the Future of Public and Academic Libraries. Information Today, Inc. [2007].
"What Do Librarians Do All Day?" Introduction to A Day in the Life: Career Options in Library & Information Science. Libraries Unlimited [2007].
Editor, Digital versus Non-Digital Reference: Ask a Librarian Online and Offline, simultaneously published as The Reference Librarian, Vol. 41:85 [2004, Haworth Press]
"You Want Me to Put What Where? Freelancing Librarianship as Job, Hobby, and Passion." chapter in The Librarian's Career Guidebook. Scarecrow Press [2004]
Co-editor Revolting
Librarians Redux. McFarland Publishers [2003]
selected articles
"Libraries are fighting to preserve your right to borrow e-books" - CNN, August 2019
"Advice for the Accidental Community Manager" - The Coral Project, January 2016
"How to (try to) Lie With Wikipedia: The manufactured history of neckbeard-shaming" - The Message, April 2015
"Google's slow fade with librarians" - The Message, February 2015
"On the Internet, with the Exploded Text. Looking at print books from a writer's first-person perspective" - In the Library with the Lead Pipe, March 2011
"Open Source Software On The Desktop" - Library Technology Reports, May/June 2007.
"MetaFilter: Going Your Way" - Library Journal, October 15, 2006.
"The Information Poor & The Information Don't Care. Small Libraries And The Digital Divide" - Counterpoise, January 2006.
"Commentary: A Librarian Blogger at the DNC" - LLRX, September 2004
"Those Darned Users! How to serve your users without sacrificing safety, privacy or your sanity" - WebJunction, September 2004.
"No, YOU check THIS out. Librarians respond to the USA PATRIOT Act" - Clamor Magazine, Sept/Oct 2004
"Free as in Tibet: ibiblio's Cultural Cultivation & Community Creation" - OCLC Systems & Services, May/June 2004
"Rural Library Compensation, The Vermont Initiative" - ALA-APA's Library Worklife, February 2004
"The Librarian is IN, and online!" - Computers in Libraries, Oct 2003
"Democracy is Dead and I Don't Feel Too Well Myself"- Vital Source, March 2003
"Google Answers Back or How to Become an Ex Google Answers Researcher" - Searcher Magazine, January 2003
"Information for Sale, My Experience With Google Answers" Searcher Magazine, October 2002.
"On The Fly Reference" American Libraries, May 2002. [reprinted in The Whole Library Handbook 4]
"Shaking Things Up: Radical and Progressive Librarianship" - Ex Libris, Nov 3, 2000.
..:CIVICS:..
Justice of the Peace, Town of Randolph (elected) [2013 - present]
Board Member, Vermont Humanities Council [2018 - 2021]
Conservation Commission, Town of Randolph (appointed) [2018 - 2024]
..:EDUCATION:..
MLib. University of Washington Information School, 1996. Specialist in Internet and bibliographic instruction.
B.A. Hampshire College, 1990 -- Linguistics/Semantics
..:PROFESSIONAL & MISC.:..
Vermont Library Association, Digital Communications Lead [2004 - present]
American Library Association, Vermont Chapter Councilor [2020 - 2024]
Wikimedia Foundation Advisory Board Member [2007 - 2017]
American Library Association member [1993-1999, 2002-2007, 2020 - 2024]
American Library Association, At Large Councilor [2003 - 2006]
UW iSchool president [1993-1994, 1995-1996]
Flickr Foundation -- Community Manager
Worked with the Flickr Foundation to help revive and reinvigorate the Flickr Commons program. Managed online interactions with Flickr Commons partners, brought in new members, managed social and other comms.
Vermont Mutual Aid Society -- Consultant
Worked with clients such as Wikimedia Foundation, Internet Archive, Github, Glitch and MLTSHP for community engagement work.
Library Innovation Lab -- Research Fellow
I continued my research into digitial divide and digital inclusion issues
with the assistance of the resources from Harvard's Library Innovation Lab.
University of Hawai'i -- Lecturer
Taught Tools for Community Advocacy/Engagement classes for University of Hawai'i at Manoa LIS
Open Library -- Librarian
As the project lead at the Internet Archive's Open Library project. I supported an international group of users with ebook lending and QA for the product as well as maintained the FAQ and all support and social media systems.
Medium.com's The Message -- Writer
I was part of a writing collective and wrote multiple editorial articles monthly on library and technology topics.
Randolph Technical Career Center -- Community technology librarian
I created a series of classes and drop-in times using community technology
resources to teach basic skills computer classes to area residents. I also worked with area librarians to strengthen their technology offerings and help support and maintain their library computers.
Tunbridge Public Library -- Assistant librarian
I was a part time librarian at the Tunbridge Public Library serving a population of roughly 1000 people. I was responsible for maintaining the four public and staff computers and automating the library.
MetaFilter.com -- Moderator and Director of Operations
I was the Director of Operations of the popular online community MetaFilter.com. I managed a staff of six, developed policies and procedures for community management and maintained the FAQ and the offsite wiki.
Computers in Libraries -- Columnist
I wrote a bi-monthly column called Tech Tips for Computers in Libraries magazine outlining simple technological advice and strategies for small and tech-poor libraries.
Rutland Free Library -- Outreach librarian
Rutland, VT
I designed and implemented library programs outside the library, gave
tours, and taught classes for target populations of seniors and teens. I
also designed and maintained the library's website.
Google Answers -- researcher
Seattle, WA
I was one of the early researchers when Google Answers was still in beta. I answered questions asked by customers via an online interface and gave feedback on the beta software that we were using. Maintained a researcher rating of 4.5 stars [out of five] over seven months of work.
Speakeasy Network -- mail support technician
Seattle, WA
I was the first full-time support mail handler at Speakeasy Networks.
I managed a team of three to five mail support techs in answering email
with a 24 hour or less turnaround time. Support inquiries ranged from
very simple
tech questions to complicated DSL routing and configuration issues.
I wrote 40 form letters that were emailed
out on a variety of support issues and also proofread and helped
maintain the support web site and the support knowledge base entries.
The Gates Center for Technology Access -- educational researcher
Seattle, WA
As a researcher I did brief and lengthy research projects using the Internet,
library reference tools and phone interviews. I worked with a quick turnaround
time and prepared reports on educational topics using statistics, personal
statements, market research, and online databases.
Shoreline Community College -- reference
librarian
Seattle, WA
I worked at the reference desk helping students find library materials to
assist them in writing papers and answering questions. SCC has a large
percentage of foreign/ESL students which presented a special challenge. I
assisted in helping them locate materials, use the online databases, and
access materials on the Internet. I regularly taught library classes in
the use of search engines and the Proquest magazine index. I was also
responsible for eye catching book displays and updating the web site.