My job is Director of the Library. My official title is Assistant Provost and Director, RIT Libraries. Contact me here: cvmwml@rit.edu	Hello, I'm Chandra McKenzie. Welcome to my page.	People call me Chan. which sounds like Shawn. The period after Chan. is not a typo. I just prefer it spelled that way!
This web page contains information about the work I do at the Rochester Institute of Technology.		I am also an artist, writer and poet. I, who is also me... is a little about the creative side of me.
Take a look at the section site seeing for some related geographical links.	Here are some cool sites I found on the web which are interesting resources and/or are of particular interest to me. See also: 5 SITES TO SPEND EXTRA TIME EXPLORING	My mother, Ruby and my grandmother, Edna are the two women I admire most, here are some of my other Sheroes past and present.

 

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Professional Persona


Rochester Institute of Technology is a privately endowed university, enrolling more than 15,000 full- and part-time undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students in technical and professional programs. RIT's 1,300-acre campus is located in Rochester, the third-largest city in New York State. RIT Library is 'a high technology, multimedia resource center'. As Director, my responsibilities fall within the following broad categories:

• Administer library personnel operating and capital resources.
• Set directions, establish, monitor and evaluate achievement /effectiveness of short and long term goals.
• Plan, manage and implement effective overall direction, policy, procedure and implementation strategy for collections, access and instruction. Establish short and long-term goals, monitor and measure progress and effectiveness.
• Plan, manage and implement effective direction, policy, procedure and implementation strategy for information technology systems, services and access, monitor and measure progress and effectiveness.
• Aggressively seek, communicate advocate and implement new solutions in the delivery of information services to the RIT campus.
  

I can typically be found working behind the scenes communicating, mediating, facilitating and (hopefully) initiating positive library change. I also provide direct managerial support for the library's Department Heads, Marketing Coordinator, Electronic Resources Librarian, Budget Coordinator, RIT Archivist and the Cary Curator. Additionally, I oversee library judicial matters. Which means, if you have a 'run in' with our security system you'll be sent to see me. Let's NOT meet that way!

I have served RIT as a campus mediator with the Institute Mediation Services and formerly was a sign language interpreter - I still converse informally in sign but repetitive motion injury got me.

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I, who is also me..

I am a published poet and an artist whose media is construction and assemblage. I have included here some parts of my vita and a few samples of my poetry. My books are out of print but, well, I've still got a box of them, holding up a dresser (hint, hint)

VITA

• You Do - a poem from IMPLICATIONS
• Pray for Me - a poem from IN A QUANDARY
• Fiesta - a poem from NAKED CITY BLUES, unpublushed manuscript
• Harlem Revisited - a poem from CARESSING JEMIMA, unpublished manuscript

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Sheroes

Maya Angelou	Eleanor Roosevelt
Nikki Gioivanni	Hattie MacDaniel
Audre' Lorde	Augusta Savage
Josephine Baker	Babe Didrikson Zaharias
Susan B. Anthony	Mary Mcloud Bethune
Rita Moreno	Toni Cade Bambara
Mae West	Rosie O'Donell
Oprah Winfrey	Florence Griffith Joyner

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Site Seeing

I am a native New Yorker, born and raised in 'Da Bronx. Having lived in good old Rochester for so long though, it could be considered my hometown. I don't have much else to say about this section, except tell me what the heck I am doing living where it's cold when my roots are obviously elsewhere!

• Miami: Home to both of my parents
• The Bahamas: The home of my paternal grandmother.
• Jamaica: The home of my maternal grandmother.
• Costa Rica: The home of my maternal grandfather.
  
  

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Cool Sites

• AMERICAN LOVE STORIES - A site for hopeless romantics.
• AFRO AMERICAN ALMANAC - A great place to start learning more.
• PARTNERS TASK FORCE FOR GAY AND LESBIAN COUPLES - Lots of useful information.
  
• GENEALOGY RESOURCES Once you get started, it's hard to stop!
  
• LAW ENFORCEMENT SITES ON THE WEB - I may have been a crime fighter in some previous life!
  
• HARLEM RENAISSANCE Profoundly interesting cultural and historical time period.
• DEF POETS - Go Russell!
• BILLIE HOLIDAY - Miss Holiday is always relevant.
• MIDNIGHT RAMBLE - An historical look at Black Hollywood in the 1920'2, 30, 40's...
• C.O.L.A.G.E. - Great organization for children w/ gay parents.
• TEENA MARIE - She can sing for me anywhere, anytime!
• RHYME ZONE - You never know when you might need this one, has synonyms and other stuff too.
• HARLEM DURING THE RENAISSANCE: An introductory pathfinder of time and place by Chan. the librarian.
• POEMS THAT GO - Love this!
• SCHOMBURG CENTER FOR RESEARCH IN BLACK CULTURE - One of my favorite places.
• TINA TURNER - Lady. Fantastic.
• PLUMB DESIGN VISUAL THESAURUS - You will use this again and again
• MSN/SLATE POLITICAL CARTOONS - Ahhh, irreverence!
• BULWER-LYTTON FICTION CONTEST - The best of the worst.
• MUSEUM OF HOAXES - Just what it says
  

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5 SITES TO SPEND EXTRA TIME EXPLORING

• BECOMING HUMAN - Download is slow, but it is worth it for a paleoanthropology/human origin buffs.
  
• Y_THE NATIONAL FORUM ON PEOPLE'S DIFFERENCES - Everything you'd typically be afraid to ask
• BORN IN SLAVERY - Slave narratives from the Federal Writers project , 1936-1938
  
• THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF JESUS AND THE HOLY GRAIL - I couldn't stop reading this. Makes you think again.
• LIVES: THE BIOGRAPHY RESOURCE - A wonderful resource for bios.
  

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Content Last Updated: [April 15,2003].