Meet Catherine Welker

Does Nightingale College even have a library? Absolutely! And it is managed by the Learner Resources Manager and Librarian, Catherine Welker. Following her passion of librarianship, she is able to help learners through the LMS access resources and with testing and tutoring services provided by the College. She moved to Salt Lake City eighteen years ago from DuBois, Pennsylvania. Quickly approaching the end of her third month at the College, Catherine is enthusiastic about the opportunities to help elevate the College’s online instruction and develop learner resources–and periodically remind learners that Nightingale College does have a library of useful resources that is just a click away.

Where did you go to school and what is your highest degree?
I attended Allegheny College, a small liberal arts college in Northwestern Pennsylvania, for undergraduate school. I attended Emporia State University, in Kansas, for graduate school.

What interested you most about your field that you decided to pursue it?
I chose to pursue an education and career in librarianship because I love searching and finding information and then packaging/organizing it and then ultimately utilizing it.  I also love working with others.

Give a brief overview of you job description and how it relates to learners.
As the Learning Resources Manager, Librarian, I contribute to the library’s instruction mission through online teaching and support.  I am in the process of creating an online repository of tutorials, user guides and training materials for faculty and learners as well as assisting in the creation, development and implementation of instructional technologies within the LMS. I manage the Testing Center and provide academic coaching services to all learners. I look forward to contributing to the profession and its literature through publications, presentations and participating in a variety of professional organizations.

What have you enjoyed most about your job at Nightingale?
What I have enjoyed most about my job at Nightingale are the wonderful people I am surrounded by and the creative spirit that comes from working together.

What is your favorite part about your job?
My favorite part about being a librarian is that I get to advocate for intellectual freedom, i.e. provide information and material for all people.

Specific to your department, what is one thing you would tell or advise learners?
One thing that I’d like to advise learners in is in utilizing their resources.  The library, although not physically manifested at Nightingale College, does exist and can make a learner’s experience successful and meaningful.

As the College’s librarian, do you prefer traditional hard copy books or eBooks?
As a College Librarian, I have to say that I prefer traditional hard copy books, but I do love finding ways to make information readily available in a nontraditional manner.

What is one thing you hope to accomplish by the end of the year?
By the end of the year, I hope to make library services an indispensable part of every learners’ educational experience.

What is one thing you cannot live without?
One thing that I cannot live without is a sense of humor.

Many people thrive on daily motivational stories and quotes. To be simple, what is a favorite quote that really hits home for you? 
My favorite quote that really hits home for me is by Confucius, “Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall.”

Share anything else about yourself.
My favorite vacation spot is Big Sur. It is simply majestic with its winding turns, seaside cliffs and misty coastlines.  It is the closest thing to paradise that I’ve ever seen.