Welcome Sarah Parramore

Welcome Sarah Parramore

This month, we welcomed Sarah Parramore as the new associate dean for the William H. Hannon Library. In this role, Sarah participates in all aspects of library-wide planning, personnel management, plans for new services, assessment and evaluation, and oversight of daily library operations. Sarah comes to us from Occidental College, where she led
both the teaching and learning department and special collections and archives. In order to get to know Sarah a little more, we asked her a few questions about this new position and her past experience.
Tell us a little bit about your background in libraries.
I started in libraries in 2008 as an elementary school librarian (honestly, one of the most fun jobs you can have). From there I moved to Dubai and spent six years as an academic librarian. That’s where my focus on teaching and learning really took root. My education background made instruction a natural fit for me, and it’s been the thread running through most of my career.
My first leadership opportunity came at Cal State Fullerton, where I led the library instruction department. That role taught me a lot about sustainability. Our librarians had heavy teaching loads. I realized I needed to think not just about what we were doing, but how we were doing it and whether it was sustainable for the people doing the work. So I focused on building systems and structures that could support the program without burning everyone out.
From there I went to Occidental College, where I took on both the teaching and learning department and special collections and archives. That’s where we saw participation in research instruction more than double. But what I’m most proud of isn’t just the numbers, it’s that we built something that genuinely served students better while also being sustainable for staff. Taking on special collections and archives was a stretch in the best way. It pushed me to understand different corners of library work and think more holistically about how all these pieces connect.
I think what I’m best at is creating environments where people can do their best work. I’ve mentored a number of early-career librarians, and watching them grow, publish, present nationally, step into leadership: that’s the work that energizes me. I also get really into the design side of teaching. How do you make learning stick for adults? Whether I’m teaching, mentoring, or leading a team, I’m happiest when I’m helping people become the professionals they want to be.
Tell us about your research interests.
Most of my research comes from questions I’m working through in my day-to-day work: things around adult learning, mentorship, or how we design instruction that actually makes a difference. One project I’m particularly proud of came out of a mentorship program I created with a colleague for tenure-track librarians. We started noticing patterns: how structured support helped people develop not just skills, but confidence and a sense o…