Profile: Beth Joress

Beth Joress recently celebrated her 25^th anniversary as an Emerson employee. Having worked in the Iwasaki Library during her entire tenure, she has held the roles of acquisitionist, coordinator of electronic services, coordinator of website development, coordinator of collection development, and assistant director for information services.

She currently serves as associate director for research and collections, where one of her duties is to develop and maintain the library’s extensive collections of media, books, and journals. The library has more than 300,000 ebooks and more than 10,000 streaming media titles. Some collections unique to Emerson include a 3,500+ screenplay collection and a collection of more than 200 graphic novels.

During the summer, she works on updating journal subscriptions. She looks at the use of various materials, new courses and academic programs, and faculty feedback to cancel or add subscriptions. She also works with faculty who are putting together their fall courses.

During the academic year, she and her colleagues take daily shifts at the reference desk to assist students with their research queries. She also works with student organizations to purchase materials that support their programs.

One of the major library trends she’s noticed over the years is, not surprisingly, a decline in the number of print items. She noted that most collections are online, including journals. And VHS tapes gave way to DVDs, which gave way to streaming video.

Another difference she noted is students’ information-finding skills. Today’s students are used to using Google as their primary reference tool. She and her colleagues drive home the message to students that there is more to research than a Google search. By coming to the library to get assistance from the staff, students will actually save time that they would otherwise spend navigating the unruly sea of information on the web.

A new opportunity for Joress and her colleagues is the increasing number of distance and online students at Emerson: in LA, at the Castle, and matriculants in online degree programs. She and the other staff are available to help these students through email, chat, and online research guides.

When asked what she enjoys most about working at Emerson, her answer was her colleagues and the students. She is energized by the students’ passions and they “keep her on her toes.” Being a lifelong Bostonian, she also loves working in downtown Boston.

Joress received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Brandeis University and an MLIS from Simmons College. Before working at Emerson, she worked in the finance industry. One of her favorite pastimes is being near the ocean. A few months ago, she visited Bermuda, and she is looking forward to a trip to Ogunquit, Maine, in the fall. One of her favorite local beaches is Nantasket. She also likes to spend time cooking and keeps busy updating her cat Abraham’s Instagram account!

Nancy Howell (Marketing)