Skip to main content

“No Fire, No Nudity, Good Grammar” - Book Chapter Published by Westminster College Librarian

Share on:

Posted on Monday, February 8, 2016

Erin Smith, associate dean of library and information services at Westminster College, was recently published in a new professional development series for librarians. Smith’s chapter is titled “No Fire, No Nudity, Good Grammar.”

The book “Crucible Moments: Inspiring Library Leadership”  edited by Steven Bell was published as part of the Mission Bell Media Peak Series. The vision was to assemble an approachable and honest voice that honors and celebrates the librarian profession.

“My chapter is about my career at Westminster College and the opportunities given to me by the students, faculty, staff, and administrators who work here,” said Smith. “It’s also about the library leadership philosophy I have developed over the past 14 years, which is, simply put, ‘start with a yes’.”

Bell encouraged Smith to think about the “crucible moments” that shaped who she is as a leader.

“Each of the contributors to the book faced different challenges, but we all wrote about not just the moments themselves, but also how we emerged from those tests, what we learned from them, and how they prepared us to meet the next challenge,” said Smith.

The title of Smith’s chapter, “No Fire, No Nudity, Good Grammar,” is based on a mantra used in Westminster’s McGill Library on a regular basis. It represents willingness of the library staff to try almost anything with library spaces, services, and resources that might benefit or engage the students, faculty and staff.

“The blurb on the back of the book talks about the collection sharing the stories of ‘high-profile’ librarians and their journey in leadership,” said Smith. “The honor of being included in this collection of stories from library leaders across the country is indicative of the tremendous support we receive from the campus community, particularly from our faculty and administration. There is no doubt that the work being done by the staff of McGill Library is worthy of national recognition.”

Smith received a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Tennessee.

For more information, please contact Smith at smithet@westminster.edu or (724) 946-7327.