Please join us in welcoming Shalini Ramachandran to the William H. Hannon Library! Shalini is our new reference and instruction librarian for STEM.
Shalini was born in Kolkata and raised in the city of Mumbai, on the west coast of India. She moved to the U.S. for college and studied at Purdue University, and later, at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She has a B.A. in mathematics, an M.L.I.S. degree, and a Ph.D. in English literature. Shalini taught literature and writing at SDSU and UCSD, before changing careers to become a librarian. She had worked as a student library assistant while in college and enjoyed the college library atmosphere, which is why, when the opportunity presented itself, she decided to pursue a library degree.
Shalini’s first librarian job was at USC as a science and engineering librarian. After two years at USC, she went to Boise, Idaho, where she has family, and worked in the Office of Research at Boise State University. She returned to California in 2022 to work as a STEM librarian at Chapman University. She joined LMU as a reference and instruction librarian for STEM in February this year.
So far, she is loving the beauty of the LMU campus and being back in California after a long time away. Shalini points out that although Los Angeles is quite different from Mumbai, where she grew up, it feels like her second home because of its diversity, coastline, and being a movie-making town like Mumbai.
At LMU, Shalini provides reference, research consultations, and information literacy instruction to students in various subjects. She is the liaison librarian to the Seaver College of Science & Engineering. She is excited to forge partnerships with science and engineering faculty at LMU to assist them with their research and teaching. She is also looking forward to meeting with students to help them succeed in their coursework.
In addition to providing library services, Shalini also has research interests in algorithm bias and has instructed computer science students on algorithmic literacy at USC and Cal State LA. She is also interested in how immersive environments can enhance student engagement in the sciences and has developed VR modules on chemistry lab instruction, along with a multi-institutional research team.
Outside of work, Shalini enjoys running and hiking. She also likes cooking and trying out food from different cuisines. And true to the librarian stereotype, she loves reading. A book she is currently reading is “The Education of Yuri” by Jerry Pinto, a fictional story set in Shalini’s alma mater, Elphinstone College, Mumbai.