Erin Burns

Erin Burns is the Assistant STEM Librarian and Personal Librarian to the Whitacre College of Engineering at Texas Tech University. Since July 2020 she has supported engineering faculty and students through specialized research services, instruction, and outreach within the University Libraries.

Education

• Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS), Kent State University, 2007

Research Interests
Burns’s scholarly work lies at the intersection of library science, student wellness, and inclusive pedagogies. She explores critical librarianship—questioning traditional power structures in academic libraries—while also investigating how yoga and mindfulness can serve as outreach tools to support student mental health. Additional interests include digital humanities, academic ableism, and the stigma surrounding mental illness in higher-education workplaces.

Across her publications, Burns consistently addresses technology adoption in libraries, from lightweight devices like Chromebooks to innovative uses of QR codes for information discovery, always framed within a commitment to equitable access and student success.

Grants & Awards
No specific grants or awards are listed in the provided materials.

Advising & Student Engagement
While no individual advisees are named, Burns acts as the dedicated personal librarian for all engineering students and faculty, providing tailored research consultations, classroom instruction, and co-curricular wellness programming such as the #WellnessWednesdays initiative.

Labs & Teams
Burns collaborates closely with the STEM CORE (STEM Center for Outreach, Research, and Education) at Texas Tech, contributing her expertise to interdisciplinary STEM education projects and outreach events.