About
Allison Quam is the liaison librarian to the English, Music, and Mass Communication departments. Her primary role as a liaison is to teach students how to critically engage with both traditional and modern research tools. She also helps students develop the skills to analyze and select relevant and appropriate sources. One of her key objectives as a librarian is to guide individuals toward thoughtful and responsible consumption of all types of information. In addition to her liaison responsibilities, Professor Quam serves as the Archives & Special Collections Librarian. She oversees the management and preservation of the University Archives, which includes historical photographs and documents. She has also spent many years curating the Special Collections, with a focus on book history and the ecological history of the Driftless Region of Minnesota.
Research & Creative Interests
As an undergraduate student, Professor Quam learned about the fine letterpress craft and published several books under the imprint, Zumbro River Press. She continues to learn about this craft with a focus on printing in the Midwest as well as the long history of the book.
Professor Quam's interests in fiber arts now also includes Origami, Psaligraphy, Scherenschnitte, and traditional Norwegian weaving techniques.
Education
B.A., English with Creative Writing Minor, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
M.F.A., Creative Writing - Poetry, University of Maryland-College Park
M.L.S., University of Maryland-College Park