Kayla M. Van Osten

Kayla M. Van Osten, MLIS

  • Research, Instruction & Outreach/Archives; Assistant Librarian; Liaison to Social Sciences, Psychology & Education
Media Expertise:
  • Library Science
  1. About Widener
  2. Faculty Directory
  3. Kayla M. Van Osten

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Education

  • MS Library and Information Science (2015)
    Drexel University (PA)
  • BA English & Communications (2012)
    Albright College (PA)

About Me

I serve as the liaison librarian to the Social Sciences, Clinical Psychology and Education departments. As a research and instruction librarian, I am committed to meeting students' research needs and helping them with the research process. I also serve as an Archivist, where I am dedicated to collecting, preserving and digitizing the university's archival materials to preserve it's rich history.

Liaison Departments

  • Social Sciences
  • Education
  • Graduate Psychology

Publications

Borin, J. M., Galloway-Wright, B., Evers, V., & Van Osten, K. M. (2021). Uncovering marginalized voices: Stories of DEI from the archives. Proceeding of the Tri-State College Library Cooperative. https://rdw.rowan.edu/tclc_proceedings/2021/ 

Van Osten, K. & Borin, J. M. (2023). Mold mitigation during a pandemic: Accessible strategies for archivists. In D. Van Kempen-Breit (Ed.), Managing crises in the academic library: Past, present, and future (pp. 301-310). Association of College and Research Libraries.

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

American Library Association (ALA), Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL)

News

In the Media

Noteworthy

  • Library Staff Honored by PMC Alumnus

    Kayla Van Osten, assistant librarian at Wolfgram Memorial Library, has been recognized by Pennsylvania Military College alumnus Ken Byerly ’68 for her contributions to his new book, “Paid in Full: Tales of Bravery and Sacrifice.”

    Byerly’s book tells the stories eight PMC graduates who lost their lives in the Vietnam War. Van Osten assisted Byerly in researching the alums in the year leading up to the book’s release, uncovering information and records from their time as cadets and beyond by searching through university archives and area news outlets of the time.

    “Kayla’s work and communications were exceptional,” said Byerly, a Vietnam veteran himself. “What she uncovered was amazing and so helpful to me to be able to explain who these young men were when they were at PMC and in service to their country.”

    A special, hardcover edition of Byerly’s new book were donated to the library.

    Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/library-staff-honored-pmc-alumnus

  • Library Staff Present on Student Scholarship at PaLA Conference

    Jill Borin, librarian and head of archives and distinctive collections, Kayla Van Osten, affiliate librarian and assistant archivist, and Kristina Dorsett, affiliate librarian, presented a poster at the Pennsylvania Library Association’s (PaLA) 2023 Conference. 

    The trio presented a poster, titled “I Did That: Student Scholarship in Academic Libraries,” which showcased the scholarly work of Widener graduate and undergraduate students from the 2022 academic year. They shared a selection of works from across schools and departments, covering topics such as student mental health, better living through technology, and sexual healing. 

    Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/library-staff-present-student-scholarship-pala-conference

  • Library Staff Co-Author Book Chapter

    Wolfgram Library's Jill Borin, librarian and head of archives and distinctive collections, and Kayla Van Osten, affiliate librarian and assistant archivist, have co-authored a chapter in the book Managing Crises in the Academic Library: Past, Present, and Future, which features library professionals as authors from all institution types and sizes. 

    Borin and Van Osten’s chapter is titled “Mold Mitigation during a Pandemic: Accessible Strategies for Archivists.”

    Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/library-staff-co-author-book-chapter

  • Library Faculty Writes About Librarian-Student Interactions for PA Library Association

    Affiliate librarian and assistant archivist Kayla Van Osten has published an article with the Pennsylvania Library Association’s College & Research Division. The article, “Librarian-Student Connections,” discusses student interactions in the library setting. Particularly, interactions between students and librarians during information literacy sessions and other library-hosted classes. She shares how reframing her thinking around a particular interaction with a student can improve the quality of future interactions for both students and library staff. 

    Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/library-faculty-writes-about-librarian-student-interactions-pa-library-association

  • Faculty Publishes in Pennsylvania Library Association's College and Research Division blog

    Kayla Van Osten, affiliate librarian and assistant archivist, published an article in the Pennsylvania Library Association's College and Research Division blog. In the post, Van Osten explored her role as an instruction librarian and examined "How does an instruction librarian without any instruction training teach an engaging information literacy lesson?" The article explains the inspiration behind the Mystery at the Library freshmen orientation event from August 2019 and how she used this to create a digital scavenger hunt in Canvas that will hopefully be used in future instructional classes.  

    Share link: https://www.widener.edu/node/13586