Sara Beth Coffman is our latest hire, taking over as Lead Librarian for Information Literacy and Library Instruction. Sara Beth will be the library liaison for English and Communications. You can contact her at sara.coffman@chattanoogastate.edu or at 423.697.2519. Learn a little bit more about our newest librarian in her Not So Frequently Asked Questions interview.
1. What was your favorite class in college?
I loved my undergraduate
experience and would have a hard time selecting just one class. One that
stands out from my first time in graduate school, however, was a
seminar on John Milton. I could talk about Paradise Lost all day! In my
second go-round, my favorite graduate classes were all about Knowledge
Organizing Systems — how we classify and sort and manage information!
What can I say? I'm an ubergeek!
2. Favorite local restaurant?
My
partner and I are regulars at Pizza Bros and almost always order The
Vegeta with added pepperoni! Other favorites include Sweet Basil Thai,
Noodles and Pho, The Hummus Bowl, and Honey Seed — their chicken and
waffles is so good!
3. What advice do you have for students?
Ask
for help! Whether you go to faculty office hours or take advantage of
the many resources available to you, there are lots of places you can
connect with on campus. And study after study has shown that the more
connected you feel to your college experience, the more successful you
will be. Also, stay open and chase the things you're curious about. Our
world is changing constantly, and the things we think might be in our
future could change, making way for career opportunities we hadn't yet
dreamed of.
I read constantly, so that must be mentioned. My partner and I travel as much as possible (the photo is from our trip to Iceland this past summer). We both love photography, though he takes most of our pictures. I also love to hike, to run, to play Scrabble with my siblings or all sorts of other games with my partner and our dear friends. We always have a jigsaw puzzle going. I make playlists and garden and collage. I even really like to clean! I love to go to the movie theater — we just saw Conclave, and it is amazing. Highly recommend!
5. What’s your favorite holiday?
Either Halloween or Christmas. I also really love birthdays and have a weird insistence that birthdays should be celebrated ON THE ACTUAL DAY OF YOUR BIRTH. This has complicated matters somewhat as my eldest was born on Christmas Day. But we have made it work! And though it's not on the same level as those big holidays, I absolutely love Election Day! It makes me hopeful and weepy and determined and generous, even when I'm scared or uncertain. I love working at my local polling location, celebrating first time voters, and watching people of all stripes continue to show up for democracy, committed to making this American Experiment work!
6. Do you have any pets?
Yes! Some might say too many! I have two dogs (Sawyer and Kya) and one cat (Bandit). Officially, the cat is my daughter's, but he loves me best of all.
7. Name one thing you think ChattState students should know about the library.
That we are the place to get help — whatever your needs, we want to try to meet them!
8. Spring, Summer, Winter, or Fall?
Summer has always been my favorite because I like it HOT, but lately I'm finding Fall super delightful. Truly, I love every season. I love leaning into the rhythms and cadences of each different part of the year. Like now, as it gets dark early — I call this permission season. You've been granted permission to stay home, get cozy, and go to bed as early as you want! I love it!
9. If you could be any character in fiction, who would you be?
Hmmm . . . I'd be Max from Where the Wild Things Are. It is the world's perfect book, and we are all Max.
10. Who is your favorite author?
This is like asking who is my favorite child!! Not a thing I could answer. But I can list a few authors that have proven their genius to me time and again! Marilynne Robinson, Toni Morrison, Leo Tolstoy, U. S. Poet Laureate Ada Limon, Jess Walter, YA author extraordinaire David Arnold, poet Elizabeth Bishop, William Shakespeare (yes, really), George Saunders, YA writer Isaac Blum, John Steinbeck, poet and essayist Ross Gay, Wendell Berry, and for young readers — Kate DiCamillo, Kelly Barnhill, Cynthia Rylant, and the amazing duo of Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen. I could list so many more, but I'll stop there.
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