Fall semester is in full swing on campus and many students are beginning to see their creative projects come to life, on paper and canvas, on screen and on stage. As leaves turn colors, seasonal favorites come back to coffeeshop menu boards, and midterms loom large, students flock to the library to hunker down in a reserved study room, wander the stacks for the perfect citation or settle into a comfortable spot to complete their assigned reading.
But for Nedda Ahmed, the Librarian for the College of the Arts (COTA), the library is so much more. To get the inside story, we sat down with Nedda to learn more about her, debunk some library myths and discover new ways for you to enrich your own creative practice through the library’s extensive resources.
No, she reassured us, we weren’t bothering her.
Nedda Ahmed, Librarian for the College of the Arts
Hi Nedda, thanks for talking with us today! To get started, can you tell us what you enjoy most about your role as the Librarian for the College of the Arts?
Hi and thanks for featuring me in the COTA newsletter!
This is going to sound kinda corny, but the best thing about my job is switching on, witnessing, feeding and encouraging people’s curiosity. Sitting down with a student (or a professor!), finding out what their particular interests are, and connecting them with resources that will deepen and broaden those interests—that’s what gets me out of bed in the morning! The world is a strange and wonderful place, if only we stop to observe and question.
It’s true that College of the Arts students are out there creating and performing all semester, but a lot of classwork means that research is a part of the equation too, for students of all disciplines. Is that where you come in?
A great question! Because it gives me the opportunity to break down a big misconception many people have about research and the arts. Research isn’t just for writing papers. It should be part of everyone’s creative process too. You’re making a film? Research can show you how other directors have approached similar themes. You’re performing a piece of music? Researching the composer’s ideas and influences can deepen your understanding of that piece. You’re embarking upon a new series of paintings? Researching other artists’ methods might spark new ideas for how you want to represent your subject matter. In other words: research helps us ask better questions and, ultimately, strengthens our creative practice.
Of course, I can help you find books and articles for an art history paper or a film theory presentation, but perhaps the more critical part of my mission is to help folks integrate research into their creative practice.
What are some of the ways you can help students start/broaden/complete their research?
I hope I don’t scare anyone by saying this, but the type of integrated research I described in my previous answer is never really “complete.” It’s an iterative process: research, read, question, repeat. Obviously, I’m being idealistic here--we all have to abide by deadlines!
My methods are pretty simple: it all begins with a conversation. Once I know what your interests are, you’re pretty much in my mental Rolodex for life. When I see something new or stumble across something old that I think will be useful, I’ll send it your way—often when you least expect it!
One thing I can’t do, sadly, is alter the time-space continuum. Sometimes people don’t ask for my help until the day before a paper is due, and at that point, our options are limited because we don’t have time to request materials from other schools, use Interlibrary Loan, etc. Also, I’m the sole librarian for all of COTA, so it can be hard to get on my schedule at the last minute. I KNOW I sound like a mom—"Don’t procrastinate!”—but it’s solid advice!
What if a student needs/wants a resource we don’t have yet? Is there a process to growing our available resources?
I welcome purchase suggestions! I review newly published material on a regular basis and try to make sure we’re getting stuff I know folks in COTA will want, but I always want to know what’s on people’s wish lists. There’s no formal process. Just email me!
So when you’re ready to enrich your own creative practice, at any time of the year, schedule some time to talk with Nedda about what inspires you, or reach out to her directly via email.
We promise, you’re not bothering her.