Rita Soenksen

In my role, I am responsible for shaping, directing, and managing the Library's humanities collections related to the study of English and American literatures, related cultural studies, and comparative literature. I am involved in collection development for various Widener Library reading rooms, provide liaison service to the English and comparative literatures departments, and various outreach programs.

My research interests are diversity and inclusion in libraries and LIS programs, making academic libraries welcoming places, book bans, and service to neurodiverse patrons. I hold a Master of Arts in Library and Information Studies and a Master of Arts in African American Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, along with a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Northern Iowa.