Dani Brecher Cook

About Dani Brecher Cook

Experienced library leader and educator with a track record of driving innovative learning and user-centered experiences. Throughout my career, I\'ve successfully led and managed dynamic teams, developed strategic visions, and collaborated across institutions to enhance educational initiatives. University Library Leadership: Currently serving as Associate University Librarian at UC San Diego, I lead a diverse team of 90 professionals across three vital programs: Academic Engagement and Learning Services, Spaces Lending & Access, and Technology & Digital Experience. My approach integrates user feedback and data to shape impactful library services. Innovation & Collaboration: At UC Riverside, I directed the Teaching & Learning department, managing a team of six librarians and fostering relationships across departments to create tailor-made programs and services. I co-developed a student-staffed reference service and pioneered a cross-departmental collaboration for unique library collections. Information Literacy Expertise: With a foundation in instructional design, I\'ve coordinated information literacy initiatives and conducted institution-wide assessments, driving the acquisition of essential skills. I\'ve facilitated numerous workshops and sessions across diverse curricula and embraced emerging technologies to enhance user experiences.Person-Centered Management: As the co-founder of the Conference on Academic Library Management, I\'ve help start a conversation in the field about new ways of looking at management and leadership. With a decade of management and leadership experience, I bring practical experience and a unique approach to working with library leadership and teams.Let\'s connect and collaborate on innovative solutions to advance person-centered approaches to management, learning, and user engagement within the library and educational landscape.

Experience

1. Associate University Librarian, Learning and User Experience

   Uc San Diego Library

   Dec 2020 — Present · San Diego, CA, US

   Lead a team of approximately eighty FTE (including five direct reports) across three programs: Academic Engagement and Liaison Services; Spaces, Lending and Access; and Technology and Digital ExperienceServe on the Library’s Senior Leadership Team, collaborating to determine the strategic direction of the Library, make budgetary decisions, and respond to emergency situationsProvide vision and strategy for the Library’s public services and technology, incorporating feedback and data from both users and staff to inform policies, services, and hoursDeveloped an assessment framework for the Library’s strategic plan and created a new role for ongoing strategic initiative assessmentAdvocated for and developed the Library’s Digital Experience Team, leading to the achievement of key accessibility milestones and creation of a student-designer teamLead a campus team, including members from the Library, Institutional Research, and the Teaching + Learning Commons, to gather data and develop a campus strategy around Affordable Course Materials and OER, as well as leading a campus working group on student technology accessWork closely with student government and Student Affairs to develop student-facing services, including piloting the campus’s menstrual equity programLed a cross-functional team in developing, assessing, and iterating new service delivery models following a Library renovation in 2020-22Convene and facilitate the Library’s Student Advisory Council, including developing and leading student co-designed strategic initiatives, including spaces and servicesAct as University Librarian on a rotational basis during the University Librarian’s absence

Education

• University of California, Riverside

  Master's degree, Research, Evaluation, Measurement, and Statistics

  2017 — 2020

• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  MSLS, Library Science

  2011 — 2013

• University of Chicago

  A.B., English Literature

  2006 — 2010

Skills

• Library Instruction
• Reference
• Millenium
• Libguides
• Css
• Microsoft Office
• Html
• Community Outreach
• Collection Development
• Virtual Reference
• Adobe Creative Suite
• Blogging
• Polaris
• Access
• Refworks
• Camtasia
• Bibliographic Instruction