Creating Lifelong Learners
By David Ogul
“My job is to make sure that students learn to think critically.”
-- Allison Carr
Allison Carr is helping students learn how to learn.
As the Academic Transitions Librarian at Cal State San Marcos, Carr works closely with faculty to instill in students the skills vital in becoming discerning researchers who can separate fact from fiction and bias from objectivity.
“I am a believer in college as a way to create an informed citizenry,” Carr said. “My job is to make sure that students learn to think critically.”
Becoming a librarian was the last thing on Carr’s mind when she left her hometown of Clovis to study at UC Santa Barbara, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in history. From there, Carr went on to work at the UC San Diego library as an outreach program coordinator. Encouraged to continue her education, and invited by a mentor to co-teach a research workshop for undergraduate students, Carr saw her plans for the future begin to change.
“I discovered that my passion was teaching students to engage in a line of inquiry, and to find, evaluate, understand and use information,” she said.
Carr earned her Master of Library and Information Science degree in May 2006 from San Jose State University, and was hired by CSUSM shortly after. Among her current projects is leading a CSUSM Library initiative helping K-12 librarians and teachers prepare students for the rigors of research needed in college and the workforce. This year’s theme: Promoting College Research Readiness and Strengthening Lifelong Learning.
“I love that CSUSM’s library is truly the center of campus, both physical and metaphorically,” Carr said.