Rachel Brekhus

Rachel Brekhus Staff Pic

Rachel Brekhus

Librarian III, Humanities/Social Sciences Librarian

Research and Information Services (RAIS)

  • Master of Library Service, Rutgers University
  • Master of Arts, German Philology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Bachelor of Arts, German, Georgetown University

Contact

Student Appointments

About Me

I have worked as a subject librarian in Ellis Library since 1999, and before that, at the Leo Baeck Institute and at Marymount Manhattan College libraries in New York City. I grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland. I live in the East Campus neighborhood with my husband and cats. I enjoy working with students and faculty to carry out excellent research projects, and love learning about MU researchers’ work. I enjoy creating interactive learning opportunities from hands-on research workshops to Black History & Culture Trivia Night.


Grants/contracts/projects

  • UM Tier III grant, with Signe Cohen and Rabia Gregory, for Confluences II: Religion and Health in Missouri (2020)
  • Show-Me Steps to Career Development travel grant (state-administered IMLS grant)
  • ALA grant for developing book discussion events (both in early 2000’s)

Recent Publications and Presentations

Publications

Presentations

  • From 2018 to present, have given several short work-in-progress presentations on Racially Restricted Deed Covenants in Boone County
  • From 2015 to present, organized and created Black History Trivia Night, now an annual community event co-sponsored by the University of Missouri Libraries, Daniel Boone Regional Library and Columbia Honda.
  • Researched, wrote, organized and led Civil War Bus Tours of Columbia in 2013 and 2014
  • Regular guest lecture presentations on Humanities and Sociology library research tools and methods

Professional Associations

  • American Library Association
  • Association of College and Research Libraries
  • Missouri Library Association (served as webmaster for over ten years)

Previous Experience

  • Librarian, Leo Baeck Institute (collection development and maintenance; supervision of catalogers), 1998-1999
  • Humanities Librarian (reference, collection development, instruction), Marymount Manhattan College, 1997-1998

Subject Specialty


Areas of Expertise

  • High-level knowledge of German
  • Intermediate knowledge of Spanish
  • Basic knowledge of Italian, French and Dutch
  • Zotero bibliographic management system
  • Basic working knowledge of Excel, Qualtrics, Zoom, Panopto, and Springshare products
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