Meet HCTCs new reference librarian: Evelyn Hudson

Evelyn Hudson loves her Breathitt County roots and wants to make significant contributions to Eastern Kentucky, and now she believes she is in a better position to achieve that goal since she is the new Reference Librarian at Hazard Community and Technical College.

I loved growing up in Eastern Kentucky; I feel it is a special experience we all share. Some people want to move away and experience a different setting and a different pace, and they should be able to. But for the ones who want to contribute to their communities, they should pursue those opportunities as well. HCTC is my opportunity to do just that, she said. Growing up, I always wanted to find a way to make Breathitt County, and Eastern Kentucky overall, a better place and imbue hope for a future here for my generation and generations to come. HCTC provides exactly those resources to the community, and I am so lucky to get to be included in that mission now as well.

Appalachian culture is important to Mrs. Hudson. HCTC libraries also have a unique focus on Appalachian culture, which should be preserved and passed on. I grew up immersed in it, heard much of the colorful local history from my grandfather, listened to bluegrass music, my grandmother sang me church hymns, and I spent more time in the hills than I did in my house. I am excited about working with a book collection that focuses on something so close to my heart.

Mrs. Hudson s primary role at the library is to give reference instruction to the students and faculty of HCTC. This includes how to use library resources correctly, teaching them what resources should and shouldn t be used for academic research, what databases and materials are available to them, and how to get the most out of those databases. She will be providing instructional sessions in the classroom and library and is always open to one-on-one help sessions with students and faculty in the library.

She will serve the Hazard Campus the majority of the time but will spend one day a week at Lees in Jackson and will provide reference services to the remaining HCTC campus locations as needed.

Mrs. Hudson will provide a fresh perspective on information services and accessibility. She received her Master of Science Degree in Library Science in 2015. The digital age has had a massive impact on libraries priorities, and we have to be receptive to changes in how information is delivered and absorbed. HCTC is already aware of this and is making changes, but there is always room to grow so we can provide the very best service to the students and faculty of all HCTC campuses, she said.

Evelyn is married to Sgt. Jacob Randall Hudson of the 207th Engineer Company based out of Hazard. He works as a Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic for the National Guard and full time for the Department of Defense as a Surface Maintenance Repairer. He attended HCTC and received an Associate in Arts degree and an Associate in Science degree. The couple, of Jackson, has a two-month-old daughter named Ana s Echo Hudson.

Besides enjoying reading, Evelyn likes writing fiction and poetry, playing the alto saxophone, hiking, and other outdoor adventures. She and her husband went zip lining and white water rafting on their honeymoon.

Some of her favorite books she has read lately are A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, Salt to the Sea and Shades of Gray by Ruta Septys, Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona, Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, and Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson.