Africana Studies Librarian Kimberly Rooney enthusiastically invites you to UW-Madison Libraries to consult the extensive collection of African Studies materials and engage the many services the Libraries have to offer.
As Africana and Francophone Studies Librarian, Kimberly belongs to the team of International and Area Studies (IAS) Librarians at UW-Madison Libraries. The IAS Unit provides a host of liaison services to scholars across campus and the community including library instruction; research consultations; outreach projects; and linguistic, cultural, and geo-political expertise. In her role, Kimberly also creates connections across institutions. She is a member of the Africana Librarians Council, a group of Africanist librarians from across the nation, as well as the Global Collections Committee for African materials through the Center for Research Libraries, a global network of research institutions of which UW-Madison Libraries is a member.
Kimberly’s investment in UW-Madison Libraries originated during her time as a graduate student in the UW-Madison Department of French and Italian. Her research focuses on the French-language literatures of sub-Saharan Africa, and throughout her studies, she had the opportunity to conduct field and archival work in Senegal and France, fostering relationships with publishers, archivists, libraries, and institutions engaged in African and Francophone Studies. Her studies and time abroad both expanded her area studies knowledge and also deepened her appreciation for the expansive collections and services that UW-Madison Libraries have to offer. But beyond conducting research in the stacks and using the study spaces in Memorial Library, she also worked as a graduate assistant to former African Studies Librarian, Emilie Songolo. It was through this hourly job that she came to appreciate and practice the invaluable work of librarians, recognizing the complex and important responsibilities of collection development, ethical resource description, and equitable access to resources. A highlight of her role as assistant was working extensively on the collection of African commemorative fabrics, founded and curated by Emilie Songolo. She is thrilled to continue curating this unique collection, which includes more than 400 digital records and even more physical pieces.
Today, highlights of her role include providing instruction to courses and holding research consultations with Africanists on campus. Teaching has always been a passion of Kimberly’s, so she jumps at opportunities to work with groups of students on anything from a catalog tutorial to a multi-session dive into library resources. (Consider this an open invitation to reach out to her if you have ideas for a deeper course collaboration with the Libraries!) Another valuable (and perhaps under-utilized) service that she can provide is research consultations. Faculty, graduate students, undergraduate students, and community members can set up a time to meet with her, describe the project you are working on, and discuss the obstacles you face. Kimberly can help generate ideas of useful resources, keep an eye out for relevant publications, and use her networks to locate the materials you need for your research.
The UW-Madison Libraries are consistently acquiring materials from the African continent, with standing orders for South Africa, Lusophone Africa, East Africa, and Francophone Africa. As always, we strive to provide access to the resources needed for our researchers on campus, so don’t hesitate to reach out with your resource needs!
