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Shabrina McPherson, First Year Instruction and Outreach Librarian
Tell us about what you do at ZSR Library?
My primary role at Wake Forest University’s Z. Smith Reynolds (ZSR) Library is instruction, where I teach credit-bearing information literacy courses with a focus on first-year students, including courses such as LIB 100 and WRI 100. In addition to teaching, I have a significant outreach component in my position. As a member of the library’s Outreach Working Group, I collaborate with colleagues and campus partners to develop engaging programs, events, and initiatives that foster student success, build meaningful connections, and increase awareness of the library’s services and resources across the university.
What is your favorite book/podcast/movie?
I am a HUGE Historical Fiction Fan!
My favorite book at the moment is Dread Nation, an alternate-history young adult novel in which a Black teenage girl trained to fight zombies must navigate racism, survival, and political conspiracies in a post–Civil War America overrun by the undead.
My favorite movie is Memoirs of a Geisha which follows a young Japanese girl who is sold into a geisha house and grows into a renowned geisha while navigating love, sacrifice, and the rigid traditions of pre–World War II Japan.
What is your favorite project you have worked on in your career?
One of my favorite projects is one I am still working on today: America at 250: Black Perspectives of the Founding Era. Alongside my colleagues, I helped create a toolkit to support the United States’ Semiquincentennial by centering Black perspectives on the nation’s founding. This fall, I will be presenting at the Joint Conference of Librarians of Color (JCLC) in Spokane, Washington, where I will share the toolkit’s impact, gather feedback, and discuss how future resources can better support galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAMs) across the country.
How did you start working in libraries?
I truly believe I was always headed toward librarianship. From a young age, I was the child who was always lost in a book, driven by an endless curiosity and a love of learning. I’ve always seen myself as a keeper of stories, not just the stories found on library shelves, but the stories people carry with them every day. As I grew older, I realized that libraries are more than places to access information; they are spaces where communities connect, identities are affirmed, and knowledge empowers people to change their lives. That realization led me to pursue librarianship, where I could combine my passion for teaching, lifelong learning, and community engagement into a career that helps others discover their own stories and create new ones.
What is something we can’t know by looking at you?
Something you probably wouldn’t know by looking at me is that I am the queen of nerds! I am a huge fan of manga, anime, Star Trek, Harry Potter, The Wheel of Time, Game of Thrones, Fourth Wing, and The Big Bang Theory. I have always loved stories and the worlds that creators build through imagination, whether they come from books, television, comics, or film. My love for these fandoms reflects my curiosity, creativity, and appreciation for communities built around shared interests, which is one of the many reasons I love libraries. Libraries are spaces where people can explore their passions, find belonging, and connect with others who share their curiosity.
3 Comments on ‘5 Questions with Shabrina McPherson’
Shabrina is an amazingly talented librarian, and I’m so proud of her accomplishments.
Shabrina is brilliant, creative and always striving for more, she’s so inspiring! Good job, Shabrina !
I love your desire to educate, preserve your culture, embrace all students willing to learn, there is no greater feeling in the world free of ulterior motives!