We’re thrilled to share some exciting employee updates in University Libraries! In this feature, we are highlighting several staff members who are either joining us for the first time or stepping into new roles. Each member brings fresh energy, valuable experience, and a shared commitment to serving our campus community. Read on to learn more about these talented individuals and help us celebrate their new beginnings and continued growth at West Chester University Libraries! 

Rebecca Condliffe

Library Assistant 1, Special Collections

What interested you in your new role and what are you most looking forward to?

I've just started my new role is the LA1 in Special Collections. My fascination with historical documents and objects makes this feel like a natural fit. Whenever I travel, I try to seek out the "treasure" room of the local library - whether at the New York Public Library or the British Library. I feel like these items give a unique insight into the mindset of people who lived through world events. So, I'm very excited to be working in the heart of WCU's own "treasures"!

Learning how to curate and preserve unique objects is one of the things I'm looking forward to in my new role. I want to discover voices and stories from the past which can illuminate our present-day circumstances. I'm also hoping to uncover some gaps in our collections which might point to groups that have been silenced or overlooked, to grant them their rightful space. And I'm eager to work with Ron, Taylor and the talented student workers, of course!

What's something about University Libraries that kept you here?

It's a cliché but I honestly feel that the best thing about UL is the people - the students are so upbeat and unfailingly friendly. A highlight for me over the last few years has been when I meet a student who is new to the library, and I can be the first to show them everything that we have to offer!

In January we took a "trip of a lifetime" to Singapore, Australia and New Zealand - so my summer plans were understandably more low key! Charlotte, my eldest daughter (and a recent WCU grad!) was busy working at the GSK labs while finishing her MS degree in Bioinformatics, while my younger daughter, Abigail, started at her new job in NYC at Bloomingdale's corporate offices. To fill the void in the house Simon and I foolishly adopted a pair of 8-week-old kittens! They are named Roger and Rafa (we're big tennis fans) and I can attest that they need constant monitoring!

John Davis

Library Assistant 1, Public Services 

Where are you joining us from?

I’m situated in West Philly, though I spent much of my life in South Central PA.

What are your areas of academic and/or library interest or expertise?

I’ve gained experience in both academic and public library settings. A few library interests I’ve picked up include special collections, archives, and community engagement. I studied international relations in college, and some of my academic interests include political science, history, anthropology, and geology.

What’s a fun fact or hobby you enjoy outside of work?

Last summer I took a cross-country road trip from Pennsylvania to California, stopping to check out national parks like New River Gorge, Mammoth Caves, Arches, and Zion. If you ever need camping recommendations around Moab, Utah, let me know!

Leigh Dawson (she/her)

Student Employment Program Library Technician, Public Services

Adjunct Research Librarian

What interested you in your new role, and what are you most looking forward to? 

In my new role, I’m excited to blend my teaching experience with my growing library expertise to continue supporting student development. One of my key goals is to expand and enrich our student employment program. I look forward to collaborating with stakeholders across the Libraries and our partner agencies to enhance the student employee experience.

Julia Doelling, MSIS (she/her)

Digital Initiatives Librarian, Assistant Professor 

Where are you joining us from?

I'm coming from Austin, Texas where I was previously working at The University of Texas libraries.

What are your areas of academic and/or library interest or expertise?

Broadly, I'm interested in digital collections and digital humanities! More specifically, I'm interested in ways that online collections can be made more usable, particularly through browsability, and interactivity. I'm also interested in making digital scholarship (anything from working with digital collections to tools to digital literacy) seem more approachable to audiences who may find the topic intimidating through workshops, instruction, or just easier to navigate collections.

What’s a fun fact or hobby you enjoy outside of work?

Outside of work I've recently picked up crochet again and am currently working on a blanket! I also enjoy cooking, reading, and pottery.

Evan Gerstenkorn

Library Assistant 1, Public Services 

Where are you joining us from?

I am a recent WCU graduate (Spring 2025) living in West Chester, PA. I also work part-time as a Library Assistant at the West Chester Public Library.

What are your areas of academic and/or library interest or expertise?

Beyond starting my graduate degree program at Rutgers University this fall for Library & Information Science, I am currently interested in queer studies, Native American studies/literature, science fiction, artificial intelligence, and intellectual freedom.

What’s a fun fact or hobby you enjoy outside of work?

I am a huge Star Wars fan - movies, tv shows, books, comics - I enjoy it all! 

Hunter King (he/him)

Library Technician | Interlibrary Loan

What interested you in your new role, and what are you most looking forward to? 

Taylor Schuler (she/they)

Special Collections Technician

Where are you joining us from?

I live in West Philly now after having just moved from Houston, Texas this summer where I lived for the last four years. I've also lived in Florida and New York, though I'm excited to make PA my new home. 

What are your areas of academic and/or library interest or expertise?

I hold a BFA in Theatre Arts: Acting from Adelphi University and will complete my MLS with an Archives and Records Management concentration from North Carolina Central University this fall. I've worked in libraries and archives since 2016, with experience in public libraries, university archives, and museums. Most recently, I was the Library and Archival Manager at a county historical museum in Angleton, Texas. 

What’s a fun fact or hobby you enjoy outside of work?

In my personal life, I enjoy spending time at home watching reality TV with my husband, Isaiah, and my "zoo" of two tuxedo cats, a miniature lop rabbit, a Kenyan sand boa, a White's tree frog, and a betta fish." 

Jennifer Slagus, PhD, MLIS (they/them)
Social Sciences Librarian, Assistant Professor

Where are you joining us from?

I’m joining from University of South Florida Libraries where I was a Visiting Assistant Librarian supporting the humanities and social sciences.

What are your areas of academic and/or library interest or expertise?

My research focuses on the social, cultural, and political contexts of neurodivergent representation in twenty-first century middle grade literature (for 8-12-year-old readers). I use critical neurodiversity studies frameworks to interrogate representation and the book publishing industry’s part in its creation. I’m also interested in archival research, using games-based pedagogy to teach information literacy, and understanding the intersection between autistic and academic librarian burnout.

 What’s a fun fact or hobby you enjoy outside of work?

I’m multiply-neurodivergent (autistic with ADHD, sensory processing disorder, and spatial-sequence synesthesia) and most of my hobbies include watching or playing tabletop/video games.