Chapel Cowden is a health and science librarian in the UTC Library. Photo by Angela Foster.
UC Foundation Professor Chapel Cowden graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a degree in anthropology.
After spending several years working in zoological parks, she returned to UTC in 2009 to join the UTC Library. She later earned a master’s degree in library science and, in 2013, began her current role as a health and science librarian.
Despite what movies may suggest, Cowden does far more than shush students who are a little too loud. And the UTC Library is much more than an endless supply of books.
In her role, Cowden works closely with students and faculty to support their research. She wants the campus community to understand just how many resources the UTC Library offers and how accessible that help really is.
What does a librarian actually do—especially when it comes to research?
“That’s a tough question because we do so many things. Students don’t really distinguish between librarians and staff. We’re all just librarians to them, which I think is great.
“I’m positioned in research and public services. I’m the health and science librarian, so I work primarily with our doctoral health science programs, especially nursing, and I also work with undergraduates.
“We teach ‘one-shot’ instruction sessions where we visit classes and talk about research, and we do research consults. If students are struggling with a topic, we sit down and talk about how to think about it and what types of research they need to build the argument their professor is asking for.”
How do librarians support research across campus?
“We typically have five full-time research and instruction librarians, and we all have our specialties—health sciences, education, social work, political science and more. We’re embedded in programs like English 1010 and 1020.
“Students often come to college thinking they’re great at using Google, and they are for certain things, but it becomes more challenging when professors ask for specific types of sources and perspectives. We teach them how to locate scientific resources, how to evaluate what they find and even how to use Google better.
“In some classes, like environmental science labs, we run 90-minute sessions where students work together to find scientific resources, evaluate them and build a poster presentation. We also offer workshops on topics such as plagiarism, annotated bibliographies, and science and the media. Most of us probably teach 20 to 30 instruction sessions per semester.”
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Click here to learn more and access the UTC Library’s research services.
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What if a student feels stuck on a research project?
“Yes. That’s exactly what we’re here for. We staff a research services desk from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and students can come without an appointment and sit down with us.
“We also have a chat service that runs the entire time the library is open—from 7:45 in the morning until midnight—so students can ask research questions online.
“And we’ll meet with anyone who asks. Research consultations can be driven by faculty requirements, or students can just come on their own because they need help.”
What research resources are available that students might not realize exist?
“The largest, most expensive resource we have is really invisible—that’s all of the databases and journal subscriptions. The University invests quite a lot into gathering those resources.
“Even if a student uses Google Scholar, they’re accessing things we’ve purchased on their behalf because we’ve connected those subscriptions to UTC.
“We also create research guides for specific disciplines that walk students through the best resources in their field. And we have online tutorials, including recorded workshops and self-paced modules, which can be especially helpful for graduate students who can’t always come during business hours.”
Research can feel intimidating. Is it just for graduate students or people in labs?
“Not at all. When you’re writing a research paper and engaging in the literature of a discipline, you’re joining the research conversation. You don’t have to be in a laboratory running statistics to take that first step.
“Early on, even in freshman and sophomore year, we’re introducing students to research, writing and synthesis. That’s an entryway to bigger things.
“From the librarian standpoint, our role is helping you with the literature. Literature reviews are challenging—not just for undergraduates, but for graduate students and faculty. I meet with faculty for research consultations regularly.”
You’re also a first-generation college student. What would you say to students who feel unsure about stepping into that scholarly space?
“I was a first-gen college student myself, and it can be intimidating to enter a scholarly space. But something I was told long ago is that nobody belongs here more than you.
“Everyone who has made it onto this campus belongs here and belongs in the scholarly conversation.”
In your opinion, what’s the best study spot in the library?
“One of the hidden gems is the quiet study room on the third floor at the end. It has rocking chairs and overlooks Chamberlain Field. It’s one of the few places we’ll actually shush people.
“And on each floor, there are little alcoves with rocking chairs that look out toward the mountain. Students really love those spots.”
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