Shilo Smith, MLIS 
Reference & Instruction Librarian 
Caruth Health Education Center 
St. Petersburg College 

Editor’s note: This month, we are celebrating Shilo Smith, who has served as a Librarian Selector for Doody’s Core Titles since 2014. 

Where do you currently work and what is your position?  

I work at the Caruth Health Education Center (HEC) library at St. Petersburg College. I am the Reference & Instruction Librarian for the health sciences programs. 

Provide a brief description of your library and its services. 

St. Petersburg College has six campus libraries, including the HEC library. We provide out-of-class support for 3,000 students seeking health science degrees at the HEC campus. Library services include reference, research, and writing support.  

When did you start in health sciences librarianship? What was your position? With what institution? 

I transitioned to health sciences librarianship in 2013 when I accepted my first role at St. Petersburg College as an Information Services Librarian. After a couple of years, my position title changed to Reference & Instruction Librarian. 

Name two of the most important issues facing the profession today. 

Health sciences librarians must demonstrate the value they bring to their respective institutions. As an academic heath sciences librarian, two issues I face daily include teaching students how to navigate health misinformation to locate authoritative health resources and meeting the academic and geographic needs of my students.  

What is one innovation, product, or service in your library that you’re excited about? 

Developing meaningful relationships with faculty and students is what motivates me at work. I am fortunate that my leadership values the time I spend collaborating with faculty on research and writing content as well as integrating library services into their courses. The faculty trust that I have a deep understanding of their course content and provide quality reference and research assistance to their students. These collaborations allow me to tailor my instruction sessions to complement course content and provide appropriate out-of-class support for their students.  

Why do you serve as a DCT Librarian Selector? 

Serving as a DCT Librarian Selector is my small way of contributing to the health sciences librarianship profession. 

Anything else you’d like to share? 

I am a volunteer faculty member for The Honor Foundation (THF): “THF is a career transition program for U.S. Special Operations Forces that effectively translates their elite military service to the private sector and helps create the next generation of corporate and community leaders” (https://www.honor.org). I teach a three-day resume writing workshop for the fellows. Additionally, I am a resume reviewer and mock job interviewer. I enjoy my volunteer work and it is an honor to serve these incredible men and women as they transition into civilian life.