Meet New Librarian Torri Kellough

By Gracie McDonough
Published on 26 August, 2022

Torri Kellough joins the CSN Library as an Instruction Librarian. She will be providing information literacy instruction to our students as well as help students navigate their research assignments. Torri has kindly answered a few questions to help us get to know her:

Where are you originally from and where have you worked along the way?

Greetings! I am from Texas and have had a motley set of experiences throughout my work life. Prior to joining the library world, I worked in social services, human resources, and IT. I was a notary public and spent time as a licensed private investigator with a background investigation company. After moving into the library sphere, I worked as a library assistant in a public library and a volunteer intern in a medical library before fine-tuning my library chops in the federal government. I interned at the Library of Congress and worked at the National Library of Medicine. After leaving the federal government I moved to Florida and worked in academic libraries within primarily 2-year institutions. It has been a wild ride at times but never a dull moment.

What have you learned in other jobs that you think would be beneficial to the students at CSN?

Having worked across many industries, I am able to share with students how different classes and coursework may be applied in diverse types of careers and work settings. Often students are unable to connect their academic work with their future jobs, so I have found that tying the two together through conversations and mentorship is immensely helpful to students.

What do you do for fun?

Anything that stimulates my mind/body. I am a podcast junkie and enjoy listening to true crime stories when out for walks. I am a sports gal and watch a lot of basketball and football among other sports. I particularly enjoy meeting up with friends for the annual Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans. With that said, floating in my snorkeling gear in the warmest, bluest waters is my most favorite place to be on earth!

What are you most looking forward to experiencing here in Las Vegas?

The Las Vegas Aces. I recently attended a playoff game and the crowd support for the team and the energy in the arena was off the charts! I am also intensely interested in the ecology of the area’s desert landscape and how people adapt and thrive in it.

What do you feel is your biggest personal or professional accomplishment?

Many moons ago I was a runner and in later years I was able to complete two half marathons, which was a miracle to say the least. From a professional standpoint, I have mentored many students over the years and seeing their accomplishments provides the sustenance I need to keep doing what I do because of the positive impact it has on student’s lives.