Nancy O'Brien
Head of Social Sciences, Health, and Education Library
Education Subject Specialist
Professor, University Library
100 Main Library
1408 W Gregory Dr
Urbana, IL 61801
217.333.2408
npobrien@illinois.edu
Previous Position(s)
- 2010-2012: Bibliographer for Education, University of Illinois at Chicago (zero-time appointment)
- 1996-2003: Coordinator of Social Sciences Division, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
- 1989-1990: Acting Library and Information Science Librarian, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
- 1981-present: Education Subject Specialist, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
- 1979-1981: Social Science Bibliographer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
- 1977-1978: Serials Bibliographer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Education
- 1977 - Master of Science, Library Science: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL.
- 1976 - A.B., English: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL.
Instruction
- LIS 320: Introduction to Information Services, University of Illinois Graduate School of Library and Information Science, (Fall 1992).
Research Interests
My research focuses on the history, organization, and management of education and testing resources in libraries, with special emphasis on access to, and the preservation of, historical education collections in libraries as part of our nation's cultural heritage.
Awards and Distinctions
Awards
- Distinguished Education and Behavioral Sciences Librarian Award, Education and Behavioral Sciences Section of the Association of College and Research Libraries, American Library Association, (1997).
Grants Awarded
- 1990-1991: "Alice, Jerry, Dick and Jane: Catalog of Old Schoolbooks at the University of Illinois Library," American Library Association Whitney-Carnegie Award.
- 1987-1988: "Strengthening Elementary and Secondary Curriculum and Textbook Resources at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Education and Social Science Library to Improve National Access." U.S. Department of Education, Title II-C.
Recent Publications
Articles
- O'Brien, Nancy P. "Collecting to the Core: Late Twentieth Century Education Reform." 24/3 Against the Grain (June 2012): 77-78.
- Carr, Jo Ann Carr and Nancy P. O'Brien. "Policy Implications of Education Informatics." Teachers College Record 112/10 (October 2010): 2703-2716.
- Jacoby, JoAnn and Nancy P. O'Brien. "Assessing the Impact on Reference Services Provided to Undergraduate Students." College & Research Libraries, 66/4 (July 2005): 324-340.
- O'Brien, Nancy P. "Finding, Saving, and Relocating Dick, Jane, Alice, Jerry, Janet and John: Historical and Archival Collections in Education." Education Libraries, 27/2 (Winter 2004): 19-22.
- O'Brien, Nancy P. "A Comparison of the Development, Organization, Management and Preservation of Old School Book Collections in New Zealand and the United States." Paradigm, 2/6 (August 2003): 2-8.
- O'Brien, Nancy P. "Review of The Many Faces of School-University Collaboration: Characteristics of Successful Partnerships." Journal of Academic Librarianship, 28/3 (2002): 169-170.
- O'Brien, Nancy P. "Journals of the Century in Education." Serials Librarian, 39/3 (2001): 95-102.
- O'Brien, Nancy P. "Resources for Educational History: Emerging from the Warehouse" Journal of Curriculum Studies 25/1 (1993): 95-98.
Books
- Collins, John W. III and Nancy Patricia O'Brien (eds.), 2011. Greenwood Dictionary of Education, 2nd ed. Greenwood Press. 581 p.
- Collins, John W. III and Nancy Patricia O'Brien (eds.), 2003. Greenwood Dictionary of Education, Greenwood Press. 431 p.
- Fehrmann, Paul G. and Nancy Patricia O'Brien (eds.), 2001. Directory of Test Collections in Academic, Professional and Research Collections, ACRL/ALA.
- O'Brien, Nancy P., 2000. Education: A Guide to Reference and Information Sources, Libraries Unlimited.
- O’Brien, Nancy P. and Emily Fabiano, 1991. Core List of Books and Journals in Education, Oryx Press.
- O'Brien, Nancy P., 1988. Test Construction: A Bibliography of Resources, Greenwood.
Book Chapters
- O’Brien, Nancy P. and Judy Walker. 2012. “Evolution of the American Textbook: From Hornbooks to iPads” in Curriculum Materials Collections and Centers: Legacies from the Past, Visions of the Future, 145-163.
- O’Brien, Nancy P., Jeannie Kamerman, and Sharon K. Naylor, 2008. “Education” in Guide to Reference. 12th ed. [electronic resource]
- O'Brien, Nancy P and Kate Corby (eds.), 2006. "Education" in RCL: Resources for College Libraries, 275-400.
- O'Brien, Nancy P., 1996. "Battling the Warehouse Syndrome: Promoting Educational History Sources." in A Meere Scholler: Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Our Educational Heritage, 21-23.
Editorial Work
- O'Brien, Nancy P. (editorial board), Resources for College Libraries, 2007-2013.
Recent Presentations
- O'Brien, Nancy P., "Trading Oak for Vinyl - College Student Comfort in the 21st Century." Seating for Comfort and Group Study: What College Students Want, conference of the Illinois Library Association, Springfield, IL: October 12, 2007.
- O'Brien, Nancy P. "The Test Maze: Problems for Users, Problem for Librarians. Managing a Collection of Tests in a Library Setting." American Library Association Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA: June 25, 2007.
- Trites, Roberta and Nancy P. O'Brien, "Family, Youth and Literature." Allerton Conference, Monticello, IL: October 22, 2006.
- O'Brien, Nancy P. "Finding, Saving, and Relocating Dick, Jane, Alice, Jerry, Janet and John." Special Libraries Association Annual Conference, Los Angeles, CA: June 10, 2002.
- O'Brien, Nancy P. "Early New Zealand Readers and Textbooks." National Library of New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand: March 10, 2000.
- O'Brien, Nancy P. "Tensions in Identifying Historical Textbook Collections." Annual Conference of the Canadian History of Education Association, Vancouver, British Columbia: October 17, 1998.
- O'Brien, Nancy P. "Battling the Warehouse Syndrome: Promoting Educational History Resources." International History of Education Symposium, DeKalb, IL: July 20, 1994.
Professional Service
- American Educational Research Association.
- American Library Association.
- ERIC Steering Committee, Institute for Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, Member. 2006-2011
- American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Henry Bergh Children’s Book Award. Final Review Committee, Member. 2000-2009.
- National Library of Education, U.S. Department of Education. National Education Network, Executive Committee, Chair. 1998-2002.
- ACCESS ERIC. U.S. Department of Education. Office of Educational Research and Improvement. National Advisory Board, Member. 1989-1991.
