A. P. Anderson

Research and Instruction Librarian

Anderson didn’t initially see themself as a librarian. It wasn’t until they were already attending Texas A&M University-Commerce as an undergraduate theatre major that they became interested in studying the intricate art of library sciences. After graduating from A&M-Commerce in 2017, Anderson later earned a master’s degree in Library Science from Texas Woman’s University in 2020. Now, they are here at the Waters Library to help with all your research needs.

A Conversation with Anderson

What do you like most about your career?

My favorite part of being a librarian is that I get to help students and professors find the resources they need for their research. It's a wonderful feeling because it allows me to contribute to the growing body of scholarly literature that improves our understanding of the world daily. I also find it rewarding to be able to teach people how to evaluate the resources they use and learn how to recognize high-quality, accurate sources of information in an online world that is littered with misinformation.

How do you help students at A&M-Commerce?

If you have any kind of research or information need, I want to help you find answers. Our library has a ton of resources, and I want every student to feel confident in using everything that is available to them. We provide access to (at time of writing) 409 databases that index peer-reviewed scholarly articles, historical primary sources, video tutorials and other resources designed to support our campus's research needs. If you ever need help searching our collection, or you want to know how to tell if a source you've found is a quality source, please reach out! We can also help you connect with other services through the library, including getting paywall access to many current newspapers, enrolling in a language-learning service, or streaming movies, documentaries, and filmed productions from Broadway, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Metropolitan Opera. We can even show you how to find knitting patterns or the repair manual for your car.

Tell us a little about yourself

I didn't consider becoming a librarian until I was right in the middle of writing my undergraduate honors thesis. There was just so much information out there that I became overwhelmed, but once I figured out how to navigate the complex ecosystem of academia, I became sort of enchanted with the idea of being able to find anything and everything I ever wanted to study. As a librarian, I am able to nourish my curiosity every day and give back to the research community at large. Sometimes people ask me if I'm afraid that technological advances like Google, Amazon and e-books are going to make libraries “go away,” and I tell them no. A library is so much more than a book warehouse—it's a way of connecting to knowledge, and it's a way to carry our knowledge with us into the future. Technology helps us to meet those needs. Libraries will evolve over time, but as long as people have questions and want to learn, libraries will exist.

Educational Background

• M.L.S., Library Science, Texas Woman’s University, 2020
• B.S., Theatre, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2017

Academic Positions

• Research and Learning Librarian, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2023-present
• Library Reference Graduate Assistant, Texas Woman’s University, 2018-2020

Research Interests

• Information Literacy
• Intellectual and Academic Freedom
• Online Privacy and Data Security