Tammy Westergard

Tammy Westergard is a Lecturer at the School of Information, San José State University, where she teaches INFO 287: Seminar in Information Science with a focus on virtual reality in libraries. She brings extensive leadership experience from roles including Nevada State Librarian, Deputy State Librarian, and Project Coordinator for the Supporting Advancing Nevada’s Dislocated Individuals (SANDI) initiative at the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

• Master of Library Science (MLS), University of North Texas, 2014
• Graduate Academic Certificate in Advanced Management, University of North Texas, 2014
• Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication, University of Nevada, Reno, 1987

Tammy's research and professional interests center on adult services, equity and inclusion, health informatics, workforce development, and the integration of virtual and augmented reality in public libraries and education. She is deeply committed to leveraging libraries as hubs for community engagement, lifelong learning, and technological innovation. Her work emphasizes strategic planning, funding, and the evaluation of library services, particularly for aging populations.

Her recent publications reveal a strong trend in applying immersive technologies—such as VR and 3D content—to workforce training and experiential learning. These works bridge library services with career development, public health education, and digital equity, positioning libraries as critical partners in economic recovery and lifelong learning.

• Nevada Library Association’s Librarian of the Year (2020)
• Library Journal Mover & Shaker – Agent of Change
• Member, American Library Association 2022 Policy Corps
• Certified Workforce Development Professional (CWDP)
• International Advisory Board Member, Vaclav Havel Library Foundation

Tammy has not been publicly associated with formal advising of graduate students, nor are specific grants attributed to her in the provided texts. However, her leadership in the SANDI project—a government-funded initiative—demonstrates significant involvement in grant-driven, large-scale workforce development programs. She has contributed to national conversations through presentations and collaborative research.

While no formal lab or research team is mentioned, her work with the SANDI project involves multi-institutional collaboration and integrates emerging technologies into public library systems, suggesting an informal team-based approach to innovation in library services.