Artist, writer, zinester, crafter, student, mother—Ann Chiu is many things. She balances her eclectic interests with the help of the supportive GSLIS community and like-minded people in Portland, Oregon.
Why did you decide to pursue an LIS degree?
About four years ago, I found myself working part time as a waitress at an assisted living housing facility, and part time as a barista at a local coffee shop. With my other time, I made zines and art. With the editorial experience that I gained from zine making, I eventually traded the food service industry for an amazing opportunity to work as a graduate assistant researcher and assistant manager of UCLA’s Asian American Studies Library and Archive. Once I began working with college students, I became fascinated by their research topics and desired to help them more through reference.
Why did you choose GSLIS?
Around that time my husband and I decided to relocate our family to Portland, Oregon. I was applying to LIS graduate programs, and GSLIS stood out to me because I wanted the mobility that online iSchool programs allow, but I did want to have the opportunity to meet my professors and colleagues in person. I felt that GSLIS supported the community I was looking for in distance learning. Last spring break, GSLIS granted me funding to travel to the Barnard Library in New York City to work with the Barnard Zine Library. It was an incredible opportunity to work with Jenna Freedman, a personal zine librarian heroine of mine, as well as with survey data, which in turn is shaping Barnard Library’s current interlibrary loan policies for the zine collection.
What particular LIS topics interest you most?
As a person of color, I hold topics of race and power very dear to my heart, and do my best to fight for and cultivate discussions around diversity and justice. Dr. Nicole Cooke’s classes have been instrumental in my understanding of those people who are underserved in our library systems. My research revolves around women of color and zines/self-publishing culture. I would love to continue interviewing zinesters of color, specifically Asian American zinesters and comic artists, and be able to document a history of this niche of zine making.
What do you do outside of class?
Outside of class, I am a full-time mom of my young daughter. She keeps me pretty busy, but when she is napping or asleep for the night, I am sewing, crocheting, gardening, drawing, writing science fiction, or sending off postcards. I am also the coeditor and copublisher of Eyeball Burp Press, and am pretty involved with the Portland underground comics and art scene. My husband, Alex, is an artist, illustrator, and the other half of Eyeball Burp’s curation.
What career plans or goals do you have?
I would love the opportunity to work with undergraduates again. I love helping them form research topics and introducing them to the world of archives and note taking. I would also love to work for the Multnomah County Public Library, as they have an amazing zine collection and some spectacular zine librarians. I will be on the job market this summer, so we'll see if it is meant to be!