Hello and welcome to my Professional Portfolio! I was moonlighting as the Genealogy Librarian for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum. By moonlighting, I mean that I’m an artist, graphic designer, writer, researcher whose Clark Kent-like secret identity is a librarian with glasses, a bun, and a cardigan. However, I turned my super powers towards helping a child and decided to become a foster parent. Now, I’m back and looking to bring my unique abilities and skills to a new employer. In the meantime, I’ve been doing freelance writing and editing for a variety of clients and formats.
For 5 years, I worked at the University of Bridgeport as essentially a medical librarian, though my title was Reference & Instruction Librarian. I assisted students, residents, staff, professors, and clinicians in doing research on treatments, injuries, underlying conditions, and new medical technologies. As the school had a focus on alternative medicine, one of the most common research topics focused on nutrition, alternative, and holistic approaches to treatment and wellness. Helping undergraduates meant cultivating the skill of explaining in plain English how to do research and how interpret the results both verbally and via email or chat.
My eye for design and ability to craft content with a variety of voices and styles has landed me the unofficial gig of Publications in every job I’ve ever worked. I have a talent for writing in a clear and concise manner for my instructional and information pieces. I channel Ernest Hemingway. For advertisements and promotional content, I make sure that the piece is visually appealing as well as exhibiting an upbeat, inclusive tone. In addition, I enjoy editing and have been asked by many interns and colleagues to edit their work from master’s theses to resumes and cover letters. I understand how to communicate and tailor that communication to the audience.
My empathetic ability to read my audience and know what will or won’t work for them has been a great asset in my publication and editorial work. During meetings to discuss the purchase of new products or the layout/design of the organization’s website, I was also the voice of the people and my employers recognized that. In fact, at the ALPLM, my supervisor put me in charge of redesigning and rethinking the library’s side of the webpage. In addition, I’ve been either put in charge of or added to more training teams that I can count. That includes at the Illinois Department of Revenue where being put on a training project only happens to the best and brightest. I was put on three where my work was so good that they transferred me to another unit so I could train and test more often.
In any case, I hope you enjoy my page and the content. I try to make things awesome no matter where I am or what I’m doing.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me via the form below.
Angie Stille's E-Portfolio 