PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – Elizabeth Jean Brumfield began her Prairie View A&M University journey 17 years ago, not as a student, but as an employee—she is the Distance Services Librarian and Head of the Northwest Houston Center’s John B. Coleman Library.
Elizabeth Jean Brumfield
“As an adjunct lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh Library and Information Sciences program, I created and taught a diversity course,” Brumfield said. “A student taking my course shared her experiences attending an HBCU, and I realized I knew very little about HBCUs and their contributions to education. I visited PVAMU and decided I wanted to work here. After working here for some years, I knew I wanted to add a PVAMU degree to my name.”
PVAMU’s doctoral program in educational leadership was a perfect fit. “PVAMU encourages exploration,” she said. “Because my interest is in library technology, I understand that library leaders have to constantly adapt to change. A lot of my previous education was technical, information and computer science.”
“I wanted to have a rounded education that could combine the philosophy of leadership with the practical technology of computer applications in libraries,” she continued. “PVAMU has allowed me to experiment with different technologies and take risks on projects that have never been done before at an HBCU. This has led to learning experiences and opportunities to improve library service to students and faculty, at PVAMU and within the profession.”
Brumfield has built an impressive career in the library world and was an early adopter of technology applications in library instruction and research. In 2013, she started creating mobile apps and using augmented reality in the apps. Brumfield received a grant from the Texas State Libraries and Archives Commission to create the mobile apps, making the John B. Coleman Library the first to use augmented reality in the library information-seeking process.
Another first – in 2020, she led a project piloting virtual American Sign Language technology, in partnership with SignAll Technologies, to improve communication, access, and resources at the Coleman Library, making it, again, the first library in the nation to use the technology.
Over the years, Brumfield has published three books, five book chapters, and a host of articles. Next year, she will have a book chapter published in the Third Edition of the Handbook of Black Librarianship by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Other recognitions under her belt include an award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association for Distinguished Service to the Library Profession in 2017. She was also named Routledge Publishers Distance Services Librarian of the Year a year prior.
At PVAMU, Brumfield is a recipient of the 2020 PVAMU Employment Achievement Award for Personal Accomplishment. And last year, she was honored to be included in a documentary film honoring the late Toni Morrison.
She recently participated in the Association of Research Libraries Leadership Fellows Program.
The program is designed to assist librarians in all aspects of leadership, providing coaching, mentorship, networking opportunities, training, and site visits to leading universities. Brumfield’s participation in the program made PVAMU the first HBCU to be included in the Fellows program in its 150-year history.
Brumfield says obtaining a degree outside of the library field adds a different perspective and provides a backdrop for thinking about the connectivity of libraries to other organizations. “As technology changes, I want to look for ways to make use of that technology to improve society. We are going to have librarians on space stations, and we need leaders who are prepared to create new types of positions for librarians. I see librarians as creating information more than searching for information; they will be involved in developing databases based on their research. This is happening in some Research 1 institutions; I think it will expand into HBCUs, and I would like for PVAMU to be a leader among these universities,” she said.
Brumfield is grateful for all of the support she has received and continues to receive. “If I ever leave PVAMU, I take with me a love for the people I have come in contact with, assisted and learned from. There is a loyalty here that is unmatched anywhere. I have traveled all over the world, and every time I mention PVAMU, I find a person who speaks highly of the university.”
The new Dr. Brumfield’s advice to students should come as no surprise: “Use the library more. Get acquainted with a librarian; meet with a librarian before you start your assignment. Students don’t realize that librarians like to be asked questions, and if they don’t know the answer, they will research it or direct you to someone with more expertise. A librarian has a minimum of two degrees—a lot of research goes into being in the profession. Make use of our education and experience; that is what we are here for.”
Click here to view a complete listing of this semester’s notable graduates.
By Kelly Rusk
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