Felicia A. Smith

Bio

Felicia A. Smith, MLIS., is the Head of Learning & Outreach at Stanford Libraries. Since arriving at Stanford University in 2011, she has coordinated the Libraries’ information literacy program and general reference services at the Information Center in Green Library. Felicia’s primary focus is on research support for Stanford students, faculty and staff. She received a Master of Library Science degree, from Dominican University and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her past positions include serving as the Latino Studies Subject Specialist as an Assistant Librarian, at the University of Notre Dame.

In addition to her numerous national and international presentations, Felicia has published several peer-reviewed articles as well as a book, Cybrarian Extraordinaire, detailing her highly successful and unique approach to library instruction. Felicia created a program that taught Information Literacy using Kindles for inmates in a Juvenile Jail. Previously, Felicia was as a Criminal Defense Private Investigator in Chicago, Illinois, specializing in homicide and narcotics. My motto is, "I make the unknown, known."

In solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, I am creating a Systemic Racism Tracker database. This will enable users to discover factual data about interconnected systems that pose threats to people of African descent in the United States that have been shaped by racist policies and practices of institutions across decades. It will also help people take action against these threats by knowing their rights and finding, evaluating, and connecting with government agencies and community groups that address systemic racism.

I was also the visionary for an exhibit titled, Say Their Names – No More Names. This forget-me-not exhibit highlights 65 names of recognizable victims who represent larger groups of lesser-known victims. This exhibit includes the names of 330 victims and 3 admitted cases of governmental systemic racism. This exhibit aspires to make the unknown victims known.

As Librarians, we are charged with the awesome responsibility of being keepers of the light and protectors of our shared memories. However, before we as a society can “Know Justice” we must interrogate the injustices and right the wrongs of society, and only then will we “Know Peace.”

Articles about Stanford Libraries' Say Their Names – No More Names exhibit were published by Stanford Report and The Stanford Daily.
Please visit our exhibit at https://exhibits.stanford.edu/saytheirnames

Current Role at Stanford

Head of the Learning & Outreach department for Stanford Libraries.

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor of Arts, University of Illinois at Chicago, Public Relations/ Communications (1994)
• MLIS, Dominican University, Master of Library Science (2004)

Service, Volunteer and Community Work

• People of Color in Technology Advisory Group, Stanford University (8/30/2019 - Present)

  IDEAL IT is a CIO Council-sponsored program that promotes and advances the Stanford Presidential IDEAL initiative within the IT Community at Stanford. IDEAL stands for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access in a Learning Community, and is a cornerstone of Stanford’s diversity initiatives. The sub-programs that make up IDEAL IT reflect our commitment to providing opportunities where individuals with diverse backgrounds can collaborate, grow, and excel across different functions and disciplines. POC-IT is one of those sub-programs or Affinity Groups. Stanford POC-IT is a university-wide program that advances representation, engagement, and support for people of color in technology roles.

  Location

  stanford, ca

• ‘Say Their Names — No More Names’ Black Lives Matter Exhibit, Stanford University (September 4, 2020 - Present)

  https://exhibits.stanford.edu/saytheirnames

  Location

  stanford, california