CSN Libraries extends a warm welcome to new Instruction & Reference Librarian Gracie McDonough! Gracie is no stranger to CSN, having spent the last several semesters as a part-time reference librarian at the Charleston campus. Gracie will be helping students at the reference desk and teaching library instruction sessions at the Charleston campus library.

Where did you grow up?

I am one of the few that can say that I was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. I grew up on the east side of the valley and went to Las Vegas High School, but when I was in college I had the opportunity to do a study abroad program and was fortunate enough to live in Edinburgh, Scotland for a while.

Where did you go to school? What did you study?

I got my Bachelor’s Degree from UNLV in Technical Theater (lighting design, stage management, costume design, directing, etc.) and a minor in Tourism and Convention Administration since I live in Las Vegas and a degree like that is a good thing to have. I earned my Masters in Library and Information Science from Emporia State University. While the school is located in Emporia, Kansas, I went to a cohort in Salt Lake City, Utah. Right now I am getting an Emporia State University Masters of Library and Information Science cohort started in Las Vegas. The classes will be taking place at the Charleston campus of CSN.

What other jobs have you had?

When I was in high school I was a technician at the arcade at the MGM Grand, then I transferred to being a stagehand in the Grand Garden Arena. I would load in and out all of the big concerts and events and I ran spotlight for many concerts during my time there. After I graduated from UNLV I transferred to KA by Cirque du Soleil to do the installation of that show as the Resident Scenic Artist. During my six years with that show I built, painted, and created thousands of props, puppets, weapons and more for other Cirque du Soleil shows that were being created at the time. After leaving KA I wanted to do something more for my community and joined the nonprofit sector. I managed several different nonprofit organizations and was even a director for a medically-supervised summer camp for children with various congenital conditions. During my time at the nonprofits I decided to go to library school and I’ve been working in libraries ever since. I started as a school librarian for a Montessori school, then went to work in a public library in the children’s department (but I mostly focused on the tweens and teens), and I started at CSN as an adjunct librarian a few semesters ago.

Are there any special projects you’re looking forward to working on at CSN?

When I’m on the reference desk I’ve been asked by students if there was a place that they could recycle their documents that they no longer needed. Of course, the library does have a place for that because we see it frequently, but usually these students will then ask why there isn’t more recycling on campus. I know that there is an Environmental Committee through the faculty senate and I am looking forward to having an opportunity to serve on it and see if I can help bring more recycling to CSN.

What are three things that you would like everyone to know about CSN libraries?

• Even if it looks like we are busy doing something at the reference desk and you have a question, please come and ask! You aren’t interrupting anything that we can’t go back to and we’re happy to help.
• Even if we don’t have something that you need at the library, it doesn’t mean that we can’t get it pretty quickly.
• You can check out more than books at any of the CSN Libraries! We also have laptops, films, anatomical models, headphones, and calculators.