Arlene Haessler, MLIS, LMT

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About Arlene Haessler With an extensive career spanning over two decades, Arlene Haessler is a dedicated massage therapist and librarian. Since beginning her practice in the vibrant Florida Keys in 1997, Arlene has nurtured her passion for wellness and education, ensuring that both her clients and library patrons receive the utmost care and support. Arlene recently served as the Branch Manager of the Monroe County Public Library (MCPL) in Marathon, FL, where she expertly supervised daily operations, guided staff, and cultivated community engagement through innovative programs. Her efforts in collection development, outreach services, and budget management have made a significant impact on the library’s success and accessibility. Prior to that, she excelled as the Assistant Branch Manager, assisting the manager in the transition to a new facility. Her experience as the Campus Librarian at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences allowed her to curate specialized health resources and empower students and faculty with valuable research skills. Additionally, Arlene’s teaching experience at the Florida Keys Learning Institute School of Massage reflects her commitment to sharing knowledge and fostering the next generation of massage therapists. Arlene holds a Master of Library & Information Science from the University of South Florida, with a focus on health information resources. Armed with certifications such as the Consumer Health Information Specialist from the Medical Library Association, she remains dedicated to her professional development and stays current with industry trends. Beyond her professional roles, Arlene has contributed to numerous leadership and volunteer activities, including serving as a committee member for the Florida Library Association and the Florida Health Sciences Library Association. She is recognized for her dynamic presentations at conferences, where she combines her expertise in both librarianship and massage therapy. Now seeking new opportunities in academic libraries within the Atlanta area, Arlene is eager to bring her unique blend of skills in health sciences and community service to elevate library services and enrich the lives of patrons. When she’s not at the library or practicing massage therapy, Arlene enjoys exploring the local culture and advocating for wellness in her community. Now, several years later, while focusing on her Atlanta job search, Arlene is returning to massage therapy full-time and accepting new clients in both the Marathon and Key West locations: https://massagepro.org

Welcome

Image of Arlene Haessler with water in the background

In August of 2017, I achieved a life-long dream of completing a graduate degree. While many massage therapists are late-life career changers, retiring from one type of work and becoming massage therapists, I did the opposite and made the transition from twenty years as a self-employed massage therapist in the Florida Keys to being a solo librarian in an Academic Health Sciences Library. Being a solo librarian had its rewards and challenges and I was lucky to gain so much experience in my first LIS position out of graduate school. However, I had to return to the Florida Keys for personal reasons and ended up at the Key West branch of the Monroe County Public Library as a paraprofessional. Within a few months, I transferred to the Marathon Branch to assist in our transition to a new library building and take the role of Assistant Branch Manager. Then when the branch manager left in June of 2022, I stepped into the role.

Public Libraries offer their own set of unique challenges and I learned something new everyday. Sadly, the role of branch manager was difficult for me and had never been my goal with my MLIS degree. I also needed to relocate 50 miles away and the commute was too much for me. So, I decided to take a break and return to massage therapy while I search for a either a remote position or a position in the Atlanta, Georgia area to be closer to family.

I began this site in order to produce the blog post assignments for the course Visualization of Big Data in Fall of 2016. I also thought it could be my e-portfolio for graduation so this is included here. My final e-Portfolio was done in Google Sites and I no longer have access to it so have kept this as a copy.

If you look above at the menu headings you will see:

  • Home this page.
  • Work Experience details practical experience I have gained through employment and volunteer activities.
  • Education my degrees, certifications and other training.
  • MLIS Program Outcomes describes the goals of the USF MLIS program and presents the work I have done towards meeting those requirements.
  • Papers and Reports contains other assignments completed in my MLIS coursework, organized by course as well.