Meet Lauren Marie
Librarian, UX Enthusiast, Library Systems Specialist, Design Thinker, Educator
Hello, and so happy you are here. I am Lauren Marie Holder, and at your service. I am a librarian, with a life long interest in art and design, combined with a deep love for reading and an advocate for intellectual freedom for all.
About Me
My journey began in 7th grade with a trip to the mailbox and the sweet surprise of an AOL CD-Rom. I discovered the internet back during the time of dial-up connection, with many hours (and phone bill charges) dabbling in HTML and building websites. Next came college, where I graduated from UCONN with a baccalaureate of arts in Sociology and Women’s Studies. I always found the internet to be a magnetic and magical place. Eventually after a decade of professional management and completing my MLIS at SCSU in Library and Information Science, I found myself in school again, this time at Quinnipiac University’s Interactive Media and Communications program.
I began my career in digital services public librarianship and currently work as an academic systems librarian. I recognized early on that library websites were typically not budget-friendly and a barrier for libraries with skeletal operating funds.
I hope to address this widespread issue and work with public libraries that do not have the infrastructure to execute user-friendly and captivating websites. As a librarian, I can intuitively identify critical library issues and much-needed resources.
Core values of librarianship include access, intellectual freedom and privacy, equity, and the public good. Libraries create an informed citizenry and must be accessible online.