October 06, 2005
Prof. Tian Xiao Zhang arrived in the United States in 1985 to
pursue her master’s degree in English Literature at Fordham
University, after being awarded a bachelor’s degree from Hunan
Normal University in China. She received a master’s degree
from Fordham University in 1988, with a concentration in modern
American literature; then continued her education at St. John’s
University, from which she was awarded a master’s degree in library
science. Prof. Zhang has worked as a professional librarian
since 1991, beginning her career as a corporate librarian at
Hoffman-La Roche before becoming a member of the faculty in the
University Libraries in 1994.
Prof. Zhang currently serves as the Serials Librarian for the
University Libraries, where her goal is to establish a strong
serials collection for all campuses, with an emphasis on electronic
resources. In cooperation with the Director of
Collections and Information Management, she works with the
individual publishers to obtain package subscriptions which will
increase the number of electronic journal titles available to
faculty and students. Due to the increased availability of
open access journals, or digital journals available online for use
free of charge with limited copyright and licensing restrictions,
Prof. Zhang regularly adds titles to the libraries’ open access
journal holdings as they become available. She also keeps abreast
of the developments in this area as a participant in the American
Scientist Open Access Forum.
In her past work as a reference librarian in the Queens campus
library, Prof. Zhang applied her knowledge of English and American
Literature in the creation of subject guides and recommended web
pages, as well as offering instruction to students in the use of
the Modern Language Association (MLA) style guidelines for research
papers. Due to her fluency in the Chinese language, she has
offered basic bibliographic instruction to international students
as part of the International Student Advancer program. Prof.
Zhang is also a valuable asset to the patrons of the University
Libraries’ Asian Collection, utilizing her language and cultural
skills to assist them in their research needs.
Prof. Zhang is an ardent member of the greater New York chapter
of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).
She has been actively involved in the development and organization
of the group’s annual symposium for many years, offering her
knowledge and expertise to all aspects of the planning
process. She served as the chair of the ACRL symposium
entitled “Libraries and Technology: For Better or For Worse” in
1999, as well as one of the moderators of the day’s events.
In her free time, Prof. Zhang is an avid gardener.
Her love of plants led her to study oriental garden design,
attending workshops and classes to educate herself on the
subject. She is a member of the American Bonsai Society, and
is cultivating skills through study and the creation of her own
bonsai. She has applied her horticultural expertise to
creating a beautiful home garden, and she readily shares her
knowledge with colleagues, neighbors and friends in their own
botanical ventures.