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Laura M. Gentry

Librarian with 10+ years of professional experience and 15+ years in libraries. A goal‑oriented, relational leader who develops teams and leverages technology to drive innovation. Applies project management and operational logistics to curate on-brand digital resources that are discoverable, authentic, and accessible.

Vision Statement

As the webmaster, my vision is to curate a multi-faceted online presence that presents information in a user-friendly way, enhances knowledge discovery, fosters digital literacy, and ultimately meets the needs of internal and external users.

Education

Master of Library & Information Science, Wayne State University, 2014

Master of Arts in History, The University of Alabama, 2008

Bachelor of Arts in History & Secondary Education, Ouachita Baptist University, 2006

Achievements

Improving Processes Through Technology

  • Transitioned branch programming and meeting room bookings to shared Outlook calendars.

  • Created an internal online passport booking system using Microsoft Bookings.

  • Initiated statistics for digital content production and web traffic in Google Analytics in LibInsight.

  • Implemented project management tracking in Trello.

  • Selected and purchased LSTA grant-funded overhead scanner and two digital microfilm scanners.

Digital Curation

  • Oversaw the migration of 556 digital collections consisting of 136,328 items totaling 526,461 images/audio files to CONTENTdm. Transformed existing MODS metadata to Dublin Core. Added OCR. Re-routed existing persistent URLs to CONTENTdm. Added finding aid URLs in metadata to direct users to ArchivesSpace.

  • Led a team that added 49 new collections that included 4,810 items consisting of 48,748 images/audio files to CONTENTdm.

  • Implemented redaction for personally identifiable information for contemporary LGBTQ+ digital collections.

  • Set up CONTENTdm's metadata harvesting using OAI-PMH for EBSCO Discovery Service and WorldCat Digital Collection Gateway.

  • Built Campus Historical Markers digital exhibit in Omeka and added GIS using Google Maps.

  • Created text-based and born-digital submission questionnaire using Qualtrics for Still Tide Together: Documenting Life During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

  • Served as grant personnel for the National Endowment for the Humanities/Library of Congress National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP) grant, wrote the vendor request for proposal, transformed NDNP-compliant metadata, and used existing PDFs with OCR to create newspaper digital collections containing 100,810 pages in CONTENTdm.

  • Formed a digitization partnership with FamilySearch resulting in the digitization of 207 rare books.

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Programming & Publicity

  • Started thirty minute one-on-one Teach Me Tech appointments.

  • Started offering an ACT workshop, managed Eventbrite ticketing, and attracted Jefferson County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority as a financial partner to offset the cost to BPL.

  • 6,500+ attendees at adult and teen programs during tenure as librarian II at Springville Road Regional Branch.

  • Created a monthly e-mail blast and grew subscribers by 75% to over 800+ people.

  • Doubled the number of Southern History’s Facebook likes from 500 to 1,000+ in two years.

  • Partnered with Recovering the Classics and Books‑A‑Million to host a crowdsourced book cover exhibit and a local artist design contest.

  • Solely built the digital exhibit for Sweet Home: Alabama’s History in Maps—using QR codes to deliver interpretive text and link to full‑size maps in CONTENTdm—and collaborated on the physical exhibit, programming, and traveling version.

Professional Contributions

Selected Publications & Presentations

  • Gentry, L.M. (2021). Digital Collections at a Distance: Telework during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Library Resources & Technical Services, 65(2), 65-75. https://doi.org/10.5860/lrts.65n2.65-75.

  • Gentry, L.M., Ryan, E., Rayman, J., & Bace, M. (2021). How to Wrangle Multiple Discrete Collections from One Donor: A Case Study of the Subject-based Physical and Digital Consolidation of the Wade Hall Collections. The American Archivist, 84(1), 62-90. https://doi.org/10.17723/0360-9081-84.1.62.

  • Gentry, L.M. (2021). Seeking Equal Justice: The Legal Cases of Freeman Long, alias John Thomas. Alabama Review 74(4), 296-322. https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/ala.2021.0034.

  • Gentry, L.M., Topham, K., Strohm, A., Corrin, J., Allen, A.L. (2020). Rethinking Repositories for Digital Scholarship: A Novel Approach to Ensuring Access, Sustainability, and Serviceability. Virtual panel for Association of College and Research Libraries Digital Scholarship Section.

  • Gentry, L.M., Walton, D., Aaron, H., Olliff, M., Taylor, J. (2020). Documenting the COVID-19 Pandemic, Virtual panel for Society of Alabama Archivists Annual Meeting.

  • Gentry, L.M. (2020). Digital Collections at a Distance. Association for Library Collections and Technical Services, Technical Services, American Library Association Annual Meeting.

  • Madway, L., Gentry, L.M., Kincaid, J. (2019). Tales of a New Awardee, National Digital Newspaper Program Annual Meeting, Washington, DC.

  • Gentry, L.M. (2019). Inside A Migration: A Reversed User Experience, CONTENTdm Users Group Meeting, Indianapolis, IN.

  • Gentry, L.M., Allee, E. K., Barnett, C. & Ellis, M. (2019). Can I Digitize This?: Making Alabama’s Unique Books Accessible Through FamilySearch, Alabama Library Association, Point Clear, AL.

  • Gentry, L.M., Newbill, M., & Ellis, M. (2017). Bringing the Bicentennial to You. Alabama Library Association Convention, Montgomery, AL.

  • Gentry, L.M., Newbill, M., & Ellis, M. (2016). Driving into Digital Exhibits with The Birmingham Public Library. Alabama Library Association Convention, Gadsden, AL.

  • Gentry, L.M. & Newbill, M. (2015). Digital Exhibits: Finding a Platform That Fits for The Birmingham Public Library. Digitorium, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL.

  • Chidsey, C., Gentry, L.M., Diaz, M., Kietur, K., Maynard, A., Mosseri, A., & Whitmore, C. (2013). Fedora Commons or DSpace: A Comparison for Institutional Digital Content Repositories. Digital Preservation hosted by the National Digital Stewardship Alliance, Washington D.C.

  • Gentry, L.M. & Whitmore, C. (2014). Web Archiving: Capturing Best Practices and Tools. Poster presented at Digital Preservation hosted by the National Digital Stewardship Alliance, Washington D.C.

  • Gentry, L.M., Chidsey, C., Diaz, M., Maynard, A., Mosseri, A., & Whitmore, C. (2014). Data Implementation at a Distance: A Collaborative Partnership at Wayne State Utilizing Fedora Commons and DSpace. Poster presented at International Data Curation, San Francisco, CA.

Grant Experience

  • National Endowment for the Humanities/Library of Congress National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP) grant, $324,774 (2018), $254,587 (2020).

    • ​Project manager and grant personnel. Wrote RFP and grant reports, purchased equipment, hired and supervised student employees, managed vendors, transformed NDNP-compliant metadata, created and published 100,810 digitized newspaper pages in CONTENTdm.

  • Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, $95,000 (2017-2019) $1,300 (2022)

    • ​Administered Springville Road’s allocation designated for senior programming and supplies.

    • Interim project manager for STEAM after-school programming, transitioned program to curriculum-based programming with measurable goals and objectives, purchased $30,000 in technology, supervised UAB engineering mentors, and authored year-end grant reports.

  • Library Science and Technology Act (LSTA) Grant, $39,900 (2015), $3,500 (2017).

    • Co-author. Purchased three digital microfilm scanners and an overhead book scanner, created a digital exhibit and associated programming.

    • Co-author. Developed physical and digital exhibit, Sweet Home: Alabama’s History in Maps, and associated programming.

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