Meet the WRL Library Staff

Luke Vilelle
Luke VilelleUniversity Librarian/Social Sciences Liaison Librarian
Where are you from and what do you like to read?
I’m from the 1,000-person-strong Midwestern town of Cole Camp, Missouri, where I graduated high school in a class of 55. I’m an omnivorous reader (pretty much anything except poetry — my apologies, poets!), check out my Goodreads account to see what’s on my mind.

What do you like doing outside of the library?
Hiking (there are many great hikes in the Roanoke Valley, and I love to offer recommendations); baseball (there’s no better way to spend a summer evening than at a Salem Red Sox game), plus just about any other game or sport!

What do you enjoy most about libraries?
We partner with everybody in our community. Whether you’re a student working on a research assignment, whether you’re a faculty member seeking to integrate information literacy learning into a classroom, whether you’re a student group seeking resources for an event, whether you’re a staff member seeking your next great read, we want to work with you!

Book an  appointment with me.

Rebecca Seipp
Rebecca SeippAssistant University Librarian/Humanities Liaison Librarian
Where are you from and what do you like to read?
I’m originally from Texas, but have lived in Virginia for about 7 years.
I like to read all kinds of things, from romance novels to science fiction. A series I read recently that I recommend: The Broken Earth series by N. K. Jemisin.

What do you like doing outside of the library?
I like to cook, go on walks with my dog and husband, and spend time with my friend-family.

What do you enjoy most about libraries?
I love the possibilities that libraries create – there’s so much power in the knowledge that libraries can help you access. One of my favorite things is working with students and learning about their research, not just what it is, but why it interests them and is important to them. That energy is a wonderful thing.

Book an  appointment with me.

Sara Sprague
Sara SpragueDigital Pedagogies and Scholarship Librarian
Where are you from and what do you like to read?
I’m originally from Virginia and have also lived in Missouri and Rhode Island. I am a voracious reader across most genres. For fiction I particularly love historical mystery series and queer/feminist historical romance. I also enjoy nonfiction about many topics; I especially like to read about social psychology and astrophysics, and I love scientist memoirs. Here is a link to my Goodreads account.

What do you like doing outside of the library?
Outside of the library I enjoy spending time with friends and family, engaging in local social justice issues, working with local nonprofits, reading (spoiler alert), travel, genealogy, crossword puzzles, and learning new things. I also love playing tennis, pickleball, and volleyball.

What do you enjoy most about libraries?
The discovery! I enjoy the hunt for information. I have always loved helping others find the information and resources they need, but I have learned that I also love the academic side of things – like teaching and designing courses. I love that libraries are spaces where nothing is demanded of you, and they can be cozy refuges as well as places to support lifelong learning.

Book an  appointment with me.

Maryke Barber
Maryke BarberInformation Literacy and Outreach Librarian/Arts Liaison Librarian
Where are you from and what do you like to read?
I am originally from a place called Leiderdorp, in The Netherlands. I like to read most things, but my current default is literary fiction. A couple of recent favorites are Paul Beatty’s The Sellout, Hilary Mantel’s The Mirror and the Light and John Darnielle’s Universal Harvester.

What do you like doing outside of the library?
I really enjoy getting outside to go hiking, or kayaking on Carvin’s Cove. I also love to cook!

What do you enjoy most about libraries?
Helping people to find the information they need can be a great adventure, with a satisfying conclusion – it’s my favorite thing.

Book an  appointment with me.

Isabel Folck
Isabel FolckArchivist and Special Collections Librarian
Where are you from and what do you like to read?
I was born and raised in Missouri, but I’ve also lived in Texas, Colorado, and North Carolina. I love reading nonfiction books about history, sociology, language, and psychology.

What do you like doing outside of the library?
I love to cook, watch movies with my husband, and play with my dogs. I also enjoy discovering new places to hike and explore the outdoors.

What do you enjoy most about libraries?
They are their own world of discovery and information. I also love that they have become more social spaces, where students can get comfortable working on their homework, studying with their friends or on their own, even get a coffee to help them stay awake. As an archivist, I especially love being able to answer questions about the history of people and places, and providing students with the tools to question and research history on their own.

Book an  appointment with me.

James Miller
James MillerDiscovery and Sciences Librarian/Natural Sciences/Mathematics Liaison Librarian
Where are you from and what do you like to read?
Austin, Texas. I used to be a heavier, mainly American fiction reader (Cormac McCarthy, Don Delillo, etc), but I’m trying to branch out. See my GoodReads account.

What do you like doing outside of the library?
Skateboarding, vegetable gardening, and aspiring to play tennis more often.

What do you enjoy most about libraries?
Helping students with research and seeing their enthusiasm for their topics. Lately, I enjoy seeing how students use our online interfaces and conducting tests and studies to come up with better designs, so they are easier to use.

Book an  appointment with me.

Coleman Holth
Coleman HolthAcquisitions and Copy Cataloging Coordinator
Where are you from and what do you like to read?
I’m from Craig County, Virginia. I enjoy reading Westerns and non-fiction works about history, politics, folklore, philosophy, or film. I’m currently reading Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey.

What do you like doing outside of the library?
Hiking, going to local music events, and trading card games.

What do you enjoy most about libraries?
I like working with information and data, preserving it, and making sure it’s both useful and useable for patrons and staff.

Shawna Battle
Shawna BattleInterlibrary Services Coordinator
Where are you from and what do you like to read?
I am a native of Washington, DC. I like to read general fiction, historical fiction, biographies and some horror and suspense.

What do you like doing outside of the library?
I enjoy baking, gardening, music, dancing and learning about quilting.

What do you enjoy most about libraries?
I enjoy helping patrons find what they are looking for and the peaceful, quiet environment.

Jessi Hood
Jessi HoodCirculation Head
Where are you from and what do you like to read?
I am from Moose Pass, Alaska. I try to read a wide range of genres, but my favorites are contemporary fiction and memoirs. I also enjoy reading from all age groups. My all-time favorite book is The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

What do you like doing outside of the library?
I like to go to the movies, see live theater, spend time at home with my cat, and find other fun things to do in the Roanoke area.

What do you enjoy most about libraries?
I love that libraries have something for everyone. They hold countless amounts of resources, as well as books/movies to read/watch just for fun. Since childhood, libraries have been my happy place.

Wyndham Robertson Library
Wyndham Robertson Library The Building
Where are you from and what do you like to read?
Hi! I’m in Roanoke; you can see my red roof from the road as you drive onto the Hollins Campus. I absolutely love to read. So much that when I was built in 1999, they made me a National Literary Landmark. I usually start with books by Hollins alums, there are so many: Natasha Trethewey, Margaret Wise Brown, Dhonielle Clayton, Annie Dillard, Balli Jaswal, Lee Smith, Cathryn Hankla, Sally Mann….and right now I am reading Kiran Desai’s novel The Inheritance of Loss.

What do you like doing outside of the library?
Honestly, I don’t get out much! But when I do, I like to sit in the rockers on the porch and look at Tinker Mountain.

What do you enjoy most about libraries?
I love visitors, and luckily, libraries are always full of people. They’re getting books, or movies, or doing their homework, or planning the next world revolution…even if they’re just dropping in to get a coffee, it is so great to have company!