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We are excited to introduce Melissa Johnson, the new Associate Director of Collections and Assistant Professor at Kornhauser Health Sciences Library. With a personal connection to libraries and a deep commitment to supporting students, Melissa is already making an impact in her role.

A first-generation student, Melissa’s family came to the U.S. from Cuba, and she saw firsthand how essential libraries were to her family’s success. “I saw how important the library was to me as a student and also to others,” she shared. “Libraries provided resources that we couldn’t otherwise access.”

Melissa brings much experience to her new position. She holds a master’s in history as well as in library science, and has worked at institutions like George Mason University and Nova Southeastern University in collection development, reference, and instruction. She is passionate about ensuring that the library collections meet the evolving needs of the university community, saying, “Each business that you entrust to take care of your collection is looking out for their shareholders. But a collection development librarian looks out for the library users, for the students, the faculty, and the staff.”

As Associate Director of Collections, Melissa is focused on making Kornhauser Library’s collections more agile and responsive to the needs of students and faculty. She is particularly excited to help first-generation and underserved students access valuable resources that support their academic success.

Outside of her work, Melissa is a fan of classic B-movies, especially old-school Godzilla films and Abbott and Costello comedies.

Her advice for students, faculty, and patrons? “Don’t be shy. Every person that works in the library is a resource that’s available to you. We are here to help you succeed.”

Please join us in welcoming Melissa to the University Libraries.

The University of Louisville Libraries are pleased to welcome Colten Hoot as the new Student Employee Support Specialist in Access and User Services at Ekstrom Library. A UofL alumna with a passion for libraries and student engagement, Colten brings with her experience from both public and academic libraries.

Originally from Madisonville, Kentucky, Colten made her way to Louisville for her undergraduate studies, where she designed her own degree focused on library studies. After earning her Master’s in Information Science from the University of Kentucky during the height of conversations around misinformation, censorship, and book bans, she found herself deeply committed to advocacy within the field.

Before returning to UofL, Colten worked in the Lexington Public Library as a children’s library associate, a role that gave her direct engagement with families and opportunities to lead programming and events. Now, she’s excited to transition into academic libraries, a long-time goal of hers, and she’s particularly thrilled to be back at Ekstrom—where she once worked as a student employee in the Research Assistance and Instruction department.

When asked what excites her most about this new role, Colten was enthusiastic about working with student employees. “I love getting to interact with students one-on-one, whether they’ve been here longer than I have or are brand new hires,” she shared. “Training them, helping them navigate their roles, and making sure they feel supported is really rewarding.”

Beyond her daily responsibilities, Colten hopes to expand her involvement in campus events and student programming. She’s particularly interested in event planning and leadership development and looks forward to finding new ways to contribute to the university community.

As for her favorite spot in the library? The fourth floor takes the top spot for its peaceful atmosphere and silent study spaces. But she also has a soft spot for the poetry room, where she spent time as an undergrad reading one of her favorite authors, Angela Carter.

Colten’s approach to problem-solving involves collaboration and tapping into the knowledge of her colleagues, particularly AUS employees like Karla Kuhn and Matt Goldberg who have been instrumental in her transition. And while she’s only been in the role for a few months, she’s already made her mark—most notably by accidentally discovering a malfunction in the library’s announcement system during finals week. “I was just trying to make a quick announcement, and suddenly, I realized I had no idea how to turn it off!” she recalled with a laugh. “It was definitely a stressful moment, but at least I know how it works now.”

In addition to her work at the library, Colten is eager to take advantage of UofL’s tuition benefits for staff and plans to enroll in courses soon. She’s also interested in joining campus organizations to further immerse herself in the university community.

We’re excited to have Colten on board and look forward to seeing the impact she’ll have in supporting student employees and enhancing library services. Please join us in welcoming Colten.

Sarah Melloy started in December 2024 as the Imaging Manager in Archives and Special Collections. Prior to her full-time role, she worked as a student employee while taking a Queer Theory and Curating course. Her work on the Hite Institute of Art and Design’s exhibit Not Yet / Always Been: An Archive of Queer Louisville solidified her interest in archives and led her to her current role. She is currently completing her M.A. in Art History at UofL.

In the archives, she is particularly interested in historical photographs and prints. She loves working with researchers, whether fulfilling requests for digitized materials or helping visitors in the research room. One of her most rewarding moments so far has been assisting a longtime professor with finding an elusive item, proving that even the most seasoned research veterans can learn from fresh perspectives.

Sarah describes her approach to problem-solving as breaking challenges into smaller, manageable steps, which is an essential skill in tracking down archival materials. She is committed to preserving and amplifying historically underrepresented voices to make the stories of marginalized communities accessible.

Her advice for students and researchers is not to be afraid to reach out to librarians for help. “Everyone here is so helpful and generous with their time and knowledge. Using all of the libraries’ resources opens up so many possibilities.”

Please join us in welcoming Sarah to the University Libraries team.

February is just around the corner, and with it comes Love Data Week 2025—a time to celebrate the power of data and the many creative ways it enriches our academic and personal lives. This year, Ekstrom Library is excited to host an engaging lineup of events from February 11-14, intended to help all data enthusiasts, curious learners, and anyone looking to explore new tools and ideas.

Check out the data visualization below, created by Steven Nadakal, a graduate student in the School of Medicine. Rochelle H. Holm, Associate Professor of Medicine, nominated Nadakal’s graphic. Of it, Dr. Holm writes: “As part of a model looking at conflict, enteric disease burden, infrastructure, and policy to guide targeted deployment of wastewater surveillance in low- and middle-income countries, principal component analysis was used to organize countries into distinct clusters based on shared relatedness. The model was developed by Steven Nadakal.”

Here’s another great data visualization created by Zeeshan Ul Haq in the Arts and Science Research Office. Ul Haq writes, “The dashboard showcases data related to attrition in an organization. The slicers are based on different categories of employee education. The dataset is sourced from a publicly available platform, and the dashboard was created using a YouTube video as a reference.”

Here’s what’s in store:

Data Visualization Petting Zoo February 11 | 12:00–1:00 PM | Digital Media Suite
Ever wanted to experiment with data visualization tools but didn’t know where to start? Come check out our data visualization tools; we promise they don’t bite. Learn about free and powerful software such as Excel, Adobe, Google, Canva, Power BI, and Tableau Public. Spend the rest of the hour exploring different tools with an example dataset and expert guidance. We recommend bringing your own device, but there are also computers available in the DMS.

Adopt-a-Dataset February 11–14 |Online
Adopting a dataset is kind of like adopting a pet, except less messy. Get started by reviewing the list of datasets on the Love Data Week website and find something that interests you. Fill out the Dataset Adoption Form, and then download, analyze online, or just review the summary information for your adopted data. Your role is to bring your dataset to life by learning about the information it contains and to share the information you’re learning through email, social media, virtual meetings, and more.

Love Data Day February 14 | 12:30–2:00 PM | Ekstrom Library
Wrap up Love Data Week with a festive celebration of all things data! Celebrate Valentine’s Day by showing some love for data and connecting with others who share your enthusiasm. Hang out in the Learning Commons on Valentine’s Day to play data trivia with the Research Assistant and Instruction department, make a video testimonial about why you love data with the Digital Media Suite, and write about data with the Writing Center. Free candy provided for participants. 

It’s a date! For more information, check out Ekstrom Library’s Love Data Week 2025 Resource Guide.