About Me

I have lived most of my life in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. My interests and concerns have primarily surrounded art and education, as these have also composed most of my formal studies; significantly, though, informal learning and self-directed study have characterized just as much of my education as that within any school. The latter is connected to alternative education (alt-ed) practices, the understanding, assessment, and further facilitation of which anticipate much of my future research endeavors. Libraries are a key resource for such life-learning and I aim to see their potential here deepen even further.

Additionally, I am a lover of cinema, road trips, animals, doughnuts, and whisky. There's always more to know, but that will have to do for now.

 CV

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Curriculum Vitae

Michael August

757-508-0049

michaelallenaugust@gmail.com

www.michael-august.com

Personal Statement

I am an artist and librarian, long committed to independent educational research, yet intent on practicing this professionally and among colleagues. I aspire to join and help lead the collective work in reconceptualizing, restructuring, and rejuvenating the educational conditions universally afforded to all members of society.

Education

University of South Carolina

Master of Library and Information Science, 2020-2022

Old Dominion University

Bachelor of Fine Arts – Photography & Print Media, 2016-2019

Tidewater Community College

Associate of Science – Social Sciences, 2011-2013

Course of Study

USC

Informal Learning Practices in Public Libraries

• An independent study of the contemporary public library’s capacity as a site of informal, community-wide education.

• Culminated in report investigating the intersection of democratic schools and library-located informal learning initiatives, alongside observation and evaluation of related services at Chesapeake Public Library (VA).

Remapping the Atlas

• An independent study; a holistic, chapter-by-chapter review and evaluation of The Atlas of New Librarianship, a text by R. David Lankes on library and information science (LIS) theory, its practices and future. A special addendum specifically recommended and outlined a reconsideration of educational paradigms as integral to the project.

Critical Cultural Information Studies

• Examination of how societal issues and issues of identity are represented in the information professions and how these imperatives affect, and are affected by, information technologies.

• Culminated in the creation of a zine exploring alternative education and its relevance to critical cultural information studies.

Research Design and Evaluation

• Culminated in research proposal investigating youth inclusion in communal and civic fora at public libraries and the subsequent effect of this on communal engagement.

Diversity in Libraries

• Culminated in the creation of an online, guided exploration (i.e. Libguide) concerned with the mutual familiarization between librarians and homeschoolers.

Reference and Instruction

• Introduction to the design and delivery of instructional services and the use of technological resources to promote information literacy.

• Culminated, jointly, in the project described under Diversity in Libraries.

News Literacy

• Investigation of contextual factors concerning informed and responsible news consumption, particularly the role of misinformation/disinformation (mis/dis).

• Culminated in creation of podcast episode analyzing deepfakes and their connection to mis/dis, LIS, and education, more broadly.

Ethics, Values, and Foundational Principles of Information Science Professions

• Culminated in the articulation of a personal philosophy of culturally responsive behaviors, ethics, and goals as a public library leader, which further served as a vision statement for my graduate program portfolio.

Community Engagement and Service

• Culminated in a team-led case study of Georgetown County Library System (SC) and its response to the pandemic (note: course was held Fall 2020), including interviews with staff and management regarding closing, opening, the path forward, and a group reflection and analysis.

Information Organization and Access

• Introduction to the design, use, and evaluation of information organization and retrieval systems to support information-seeking and curation.

• Culminated in narrated presentation of Vannevar Bush’s memex, the legacy model and inspiration for the personal computer and augmented coordination of information.

ODU

Foundations of Education and Assessment

• Culminated in a 30-hour observation of two K-12 classes and a classroom observation report covering an exploration of the achievement gap, discussion of classroom practice, further investigations, and my own evolving educational philosophy.

Fundamentals of Human Growth and Development

• Introduction to the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development of children and adolescents and the use of this in guiding learning experiences.

Senior Show

• Exploration of practical and theoretical issues relevant to contemporary artistic discourse and a study of gallery practices for exhibition.

• Culminated in a collaboratively designed and produced exhibition for graduating BFA students, entitled Reconnection, including the development of an artist directory zine.

Photo Seminar I and II

• Consisted of consecutive and interlinked photographic series, independently navigated and executed with input from cohorts and professor (i.e. class critiques).

TCC

Principles of Anthropology II

• Exploration of the development and diversification of human cultures, including historical and contemporary analysis of human societies, under Gina E. Tillis (now Ph.D); incidentally, my introduction to Paulo Freire.

History of World Civilization I and II

• Studied Asian, African, Latin American and European civilizations from the ancient period to the present under Dr. William S. Rodner, author of J.M.W. Turner: Romantic Painter of the Industrial Revolution.

Work Experience

Chesapeake Public Library

Library Assistant, 2021-current

• Ensure that the Youth and Family Services (YFS) area of Indian River Library is a welcoming and engaging space for its young patrons and their parent/guardians; act as a conscientious facilitator of learning, connection, and growth.

• Develop, assist in the development and/or the delivery of library programming, both branch- and system-wide, intended for engagement, learning, and entertainment.

• Maintain continuous awareness of professional literature and current issues through journals, magazines, listservs, and newsletters, along with webinars and training internal and external to system.

New Librarianship Symposia

Assistantship, 2021

• Supervised team of student volunteers tasked with evaluating and recommending revisions for the accessibility of academic papers.

• Communicated and coordinated with a series of academic authors and presenters connected to symposia, ensuring mutual needs were fulfilled and questions answered.

• Coordinated and collaborated with professors and supporting staff in charge of managing or facilitating the symposia.

Virginia Beach Public Library

Library Technician, 2008-2010

• Ensured the organization of and access to collection, including assisting patrons with reference questions, item check-out, and materials handling between branches.

• Aided in the outreach of library presence through its mobile services and assisted with after-hours youth programming.

Skills

• Competence with use of reference management platforms (i.e. Mendeley); information databases (i.e. EBSCOhost, WorldCat); library search engines (e.g. academic, public)

• Website design (e.g. Wix, Squarespace, Google Sites)

Organizational Affiliations

Alternative Education Resource Organization, 4 years
-Attended Annual Conference 2023 in Brookline, NY; Youth-Led Conference 2023 (virtual); Annual Conferences 2020-2022 (virtual) 

Alliance for Self-Directed Education, 3.5 years
-Volunteer Resource Directory Curator, since 8/2023 

Virginia Library Association, 2.5 years

American Library Association, 2 year

Informal Practices

Personal library-building, including collections for:

• Social foundations of education (i.e. philosophy, history, sociology)

• Alternative education studies, especially related to democratic schools and self-directed education (SDE)

• Bibliographies: Carl Sagan; James Baldwin; Will Durant

Independent writing, including:

• Journaling

• Short essays

• Poetry

• Book-length manuscripts