Associate Professor Rachel Fleming-May’s passion for libraries didn’t originate from a family member or a past teacher; rather, it was inspired by a comic series she loved during her childhood.
“If I’m being completely honest, I idolized Batgirl as a child. I watched Batgirl on the old Batman television series after school. Barbara Gordon, who is Batgirl’s true identity, is a librarian, and that always stuck with me,” she said with a laugh.
Fleming-May has been a part of the School of Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, since 2009. She earned her master’s degree in information sciences from Rosary College, now Dominican University, just outside Chicago, in 1996.
“After I graduated, I moved to Philadelphia and worked as a public librarian for two years. Then, I relocated to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where I served as a public services librarian at the University of Alabama for five years,” she explained.
With aspirations to become a LIS educator, Fleming-May decided to pursue her PhD while simultaneously working and raising her child. While pursuing her PhD, Fleming-May was able to find different scholarships and tuition grants to help fund her educational aspirations.
“It took me a little longer than it might take some people; it took me almost five years,” she noted.
After obtaining her PhD, Fleming-May became an instructor in the School of Library and Information Studies at Alabama for a year before moving to the University of Tennessee.
“Right now, I’m teaching an Introduction to Information Sources and Services class, and then I teach a follow-up course that focuses on sources, services, and scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences. I also teach Planning and Assessment and User Instruction,” she stated.
Dr. Rachel Fleming-May’s students, including graduate teaching assistants and master’s student Paul Springer, appreciate her classes for their effective integration of real-world topics into the curriculum.
“Attending Dr. Fleming-May’s courses has been a pleasure. She is an enthusiastic leader in the field of library and information sciences and excels in user instruction. Dr. Fleming-May embodies the ideal 21st-century librarian, making information relevant to today’s technological landscape. As an instructor, she has an exceptional understanding of library history and its significance in shaping the world around us,” Springer shared.
Fleming-May’s research focuses on information behavior within the field of information science, along with academic libraries, librarianship, and assessment.
“Traditionally, we study how different groups interact with information, such as children or scientists. My particular interest lies in how creative works are treated in information science. Previously, I worked on an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) planning grant to create an index for poetry published exclusively online,” she explained.
Currently, Fleming-May is exploring how writers interact with information. With the support of the Bonnie Carroll and Roy Cooper Faculty Enrichment Award, Fleming-May recruited 22 Master of Fine Arts (MFA) students specializing in poetry.
“They kept writing journals over five weeks to document their information-seeking behaviors and inspirations during their writing sessions. I then conducted follow-up interviews to dive deeper into their experiences. This research wouldn’t have been possible without the award, which provided incentives for the participants,” she said.
As a former non-traditional student herself, Fleming-May has an appreciation for the diversity of students in the program, which ranges from recent undergraduates to those with extensive work experience and PhDs. Her goal is to create long-lasting relationships with current and future students.
“This variety brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the classroom. Not only do I learn from my students, but they also teach and mentor each other, which is incredibly rewarding to see,” she stated.
She added, “I’ve been here long enough to develop relationships with former students that have lasted for 15 years. One of our alumni, Rachel Gammons, is the head of instruction at the University of Maryland libraries. She holds a significant position, but she returned to school and earned her PhD last year. She asked me to serve on her dissertation committee, and I was able to attend her defense via Zoom and witness her success.”
It is Fleming-May’s connections with students and her research on current topics that allow her to engage her students in class.
Springer remarked, “Librarians serve as connectors to the broader global network, and Dr. Fleming-May excels at bridging the gaps between the past and the future, analog and digital, in-person and virtual. This approach helps students better understand contemporary realities. In today’s rapidly changing world, educators must be adaptive and innovative. Fortunately for the SIS department at UT, they have a faculty member and scholar who embodies these qualities perfectly.”
Fleming-May hopes her students can apply the knowledge they gain in the classroom to real-world situations and also bring their real-world experiences back to the classroom.
“I encourage students after they graduate and those who are already working to contribute their expertise back to the school. Whether it’s serving on the advisory board, guest speaking in classes, or providing feedback—both formally and informally—on the program and curriculum, it’s incredibly important. We have many engaged alumni, and their involvement is invaluable,” she said.
“Because of my experiences in her courses, I am incredibly optimistic about what librarians can achieve in this new technological era. I am grateful to be a student in this program and to have access to such a well-rounded librarian,” stated Springer.