Students hear from the Provost and the Interim Dean of University Libraries. They mingle with faculty, staff, and each other. They learn about library resources and services. The event is the culmination of months of planning, weeks of behind-the-scenes arrangements, and nearly two days of on-site prep. While many hands make light work—thanks to a committee of volunteers—none of the reception’s success of would be possible without the direction of Dr. Yu-Hui Chen. 

A simple sign decorates the door to Yu-Hui’s office inside the University Library. The quote from Daisaku Ikeda reads: “Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, later remarked that one’s inner life is the true Olympics. Life itself is an Olympics where we strive each day to better our own personal records.”

Yu-Hui’s work at the Libraries embodies this quest for constant improvement. It’s fitting then that she publishes widely on the topic usability and information access. “Ever since I was a library science student, I have been a strong advocate for ease of resource access and information discovery,” she says. “Information systems that fail to account for their target users’ mental models impede information retrieval and create frustration.”

Her recent publications have focused on practices and strategies for Web usability deployed by member institutions of the Association of Research Libraries. “The issues and degrees of progress identified in these results will help advance web usability enterprises in the information science and higher education communities,” says Yu-Hui. 

It’s this research output, combined with her service and librarianship efforts, that secured Yu-Hui the rank of full Librarian in 2017. Colleagues speak highly of her commitment to the Libraries. Jane Kessler, Director of Collections, says “Yu-Hui is to be commended for the support she provides to University at Albany students, especially international and doctoral students. Every year, she works tirelessly to organize a reception for international students in the University Library, as well as offering workshops on U.S. citation practices.  The numerous doctoral discussion forums she organizes and moderates each year are of great value to students.  We are indeed fortunate to have her as a member of the University Libraries faculty.”

Deborah LaFond, a fellow Subject Librarian, says: “Yu-Hui contributes to students, staff and faculty by fostering learning and collaborating to create research process support within her areas of responsibility. Having gathered much user-centered feedback and analyzed that data in her research and dissertation, she continues to share her informed insights and advocate for what library users request. We overlap in our support to the School of Education. Yu-Hui is a dedicated librarian and an excellent, respected colleague within the library as well as within the School of Education.”

“As a former international student, I believe in internationalization. I came from the other side of the globe to study. While preserving and celebrating my culture heritage, I had opportunities to develop my intercultural competencies by learning diverse cultural perspectives in classroom or through interacting with people from different parts of the world.”

In a way, one can find this sense of urgency, the constant march towards improvement, from the earliest stages of Yu-Hui’s career. “After receiving my bachelor’s degree, I worked as a TA at a junior college in Taiwan,” she explains. “To be promoted to the rank of Lecturer, I decided to receive a master’s degree in TESOL in the United States. I chose UAlbany because of its highly regarded TESOL program offered at the School of Education.”

Economic conditions resulted in Yu-Hui completing her master’s degree in a single year before moving back home. The wheels were in motion, though, and they put into focus the joint themes of her life’s work: tireless self-improvement and furthering efforts of internationalization. 

“Before returning to Taiwan, I promised myself to come back in the future.  After two years of teaching, I returned to UAlbany obtaining master’s degrees in library science and information science, as well as earning a Ph.D. in the field of information science.”

Internationalization takes a leading role in Authoring Our Success, UAlbany’s 2018-2023 Strategic Plan. The goal? “Prepare our students to be globally engaged citizens while expanding UAlbany’s international visibility and impact.” The steps outlined to achieve this objective include increasing opportunities for study abroad, developing a globally-informed curriculum regardless of discipline, and “[facilitating] internationalization across teaching and research and support those activities through institutional processes.”

To Yu-Hui, this effort comes as no surprise. “Internationalization has become a top priority for institutions of higher education and as a vehicle to help prepare students to be globally engaged citizens,” she explains. “Internationalization is also considered as a talent-development engine.  Moreover, internationalization has become a means for institutions to increase their visibility in the world. As part of the process of undertaking this important initiative, it is inevitable for the University to incorporate international and intercultural dimensions into the three pillars of academia: teaching, research, and services.”

Where do the University Libraries fit in to the mission of internationalization? To Yu-Hui, libraries are “the intellectual heart of the university community”, and that means they have an obligation to rise to the occasion. “The steady increase in cross-border education calls for libraries to provide support for research, teaching, curriculum development, and student services,” she says. “Additionally, conducting research that is international in scope requires gaining knowledge, gathering materials, and accessing information from countries that are under investigation. As such, research libraries have a critical role to play in facilitating university internationalization initiatives and research collaborations.”

Yu-Hui also knows how to bring the spirit of internationalization into the libraries. She developed a relationship between UAlbany and the National Taiwan University’s Department of Library and Information Science. Each year, she welcomes visiting students to conduct field experience in the University Libraries. She says these students find the experience eye-opening, allowing them to “[gain] gaining insights into the similarities and differences of librarianship and library operation in Taiwan and in the U.S., learning current trends and best practices in library and information science, as well as enriching their life experiences through interaction with library faculty and staff and immersion in the American cultures.”

When asked if her personal experiences steered her towards taking up this cause, Yu-Hui says, “As a former international student, I believe in internationalization. I came from the other side of the globe to study. While preserving and celebrating my culture heritage, I had opportunities to develop my intercultural competencies by learning diverse cultural perspectives in classroom or through interacting with people from different parts of the world.”
 

As Provost Carol Kim takes the to the podium during the International Students Reception, Yu-Hui stands off to the side, a rare chance to catch her breath. She listens as Provost Kim says, “As international students, you are integral to the success of the entire University and the broader Albany community. You are valued, and we are here to support in every way we can. I encourage you to tap into the expertise of library faculty and staff. Make friends with your subject librarian; pick their brains regularly; don’t be afraid to ask for their assistance!”

But Yu-Hui is hesitant to take credit for the program’s success. “The reception was initiated by a former colleague, Carol Anderson. It started in a meet and greet format with light refreshments to celebrate students’ completion of their three-day orientation program.  Library faculty met and chatted with students on the first floor of the North wing.”

Yu-Hui assumed responsibility of the event 14 years ago, and its growth has been notable. She attributes this trend to the larger number of students recruited by UAlbany. “As the population of our international students grows, the reception has become more elaborate in terms of the venue setup, program, and refreshments.” 

Or, in the words of Jerry Burke, another fellow subject librarian, “Yu-Hui is a true ambassador for the Libraries. In her daily activities as a subject librarian she communicates the qualities of programs and services the Libraries offer. Her work with international students exemplifies this: from the workshops she teaches on research skills to the Libraries’ annual International Students Reception event that she organizes and manages yearly. In addition, Yu-Hui is an exceptional colleague to work with and to learn from.”

There’s no denying her impact, and there’s no slowing down anytime soon. The University is committed to internationalization, and so too are the Libraries. With Yu-Hui’s expertise to lean on, we can trust it will be treated with the utmost attention.