Karla Fribley

About me

I first came to Earlham as a student, graduating in 2003 with a degree in English. It wasn’t until after graduating that I realized that some of the things I considered “normal” weren’t actually part of everyone’s college experience – being on a first-name basis with your professors, chatting with them during their office hours, having class dinners at my professor’s house, working closely with library director to develop an internship to help me explore careers in libraries. But these types of interactions are common at Earlham. I came back to Earlham so that I could also build these types of relationships with students as they find their path.

I support research and technology needs across the College, mainly in the humanities & social sciences, and as seminaries librarian for Earlham School of Religion and Bethany Theological Seminary. I help run our LIFT program for first-generation students, including teaching the fall semester LIFT course. In 2024, I led a group of LIFT students on an off-campus program walking the 84-miles of Hadrian’s Wall in northern England.

In my free time, I enjoy back campus walks with my family, gardening, and talking to my chickens.

Education

• M.L.I.S., Simmons College
• B.A., Earlham College

Professional memberships

ACRL (Association of College & Research Libraries)

Scholarly interest

first-generation college students; faculty development; information literacy

Published works

“Strengthening Campus Partnerships to Support a Library’s First-Generation Retention
Program” (chapter in The Small to Mid-Size Academic Library: Collaborations and Outreach, forthcoming)
“Academic Librarians and Campus-Wide Faculty Development: A National Survey” (article in portal: Libraries and the Academy, 2021)
“How Librarians Can Improve First-Generation Student Retention through Outreach, Immersion, and Partnerships” (chapter in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Action: Planning, Leadership, and Programming, 2020)
“Using the ADDIE Process to Design Faculty Programming” (chapter in Creative Instructional Design: Practical Applications for Librarians, 2017)
“How Would You Use It? Designing a Library Workshop to Engage Young Writers with Resources in Their Field” (chapter in Library Partnerships with Writers and Poets: Case Studies, 2017)
“Massages in the Library: Running a Course Design Spa for Faculty” (article in College & Research Library News, 2015)