WILLIAM YOUNGBLOOD
Saint Louis,MO
Summary
MFA (Poetry) writer and editor with over a decade of experience in creative writing, copywriting, and copyediting, in academic, non-profit, and professional settings for print and the web. Over a decade of experience in photo and video production in academic, non-profit, and professional settings for both print and the web. Seven years of experience in customer-facing roles, in retail and academic settings. Driven researcher who strives to think both broadly and deeply, in order to synthesize complex ideas into easily digestible presentations, and provide novel insights and solutions to unexpected problems. Detail-oriented team player with strong organizational skills. Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously with a high degree of accuracy.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
Work History
Interlibrary Loan/Reserves Assistant
Washington University in St. Louis
01.2020 - 09.2023
- Document Delivery and Campus Delivery processes, providing fast and accurate delivery of electronic articles and physical books directly to patrons, ILL Borrowing process, locating and requesting books and articles for patrons from worldwide network of partner libraries, often interfacing directly with library staff around world and across language barriers
- Secondary responsibilities: Shifts at Library Help Desk, providing face-to-face services and answering patron questions about Library services
- Occasional supervision of Library Student Workers when primary supervisors are unavailable
- Worked to revise patron-facing Request Status labels in ILL user interface to remove unnecessary labels only needed for internal purposes, and to rewrite remaining labels in clear, user-friendly language, to reduce patron confusion about status of their Borrowing and Document Delivery Requests
- Participated in development of new Campus Delivery service, helping to improve efficiency and accuracy over prior version of service which had been suspended due to pandemic
- Major Accomplishments: in 2022-23, designed and implemented workflow improvements for Document Delivery service which reduced average turnaround time from 1.59 days to 20.19 hours. In 2021-22, work in Borrowing service was noted to have reduced amount spent on borrowing fees paid to other libraries.
- Mitigated librarian workload by independently managing basic patron requests and locating materials.
- Assisted patrons with operation of library photocopiers, microfiche and audio/visual equipment.
Instructor and Teaching Fellow
Washington University in St. Louis
08.2017 - 06.2019
- Wrote and implemented lesson plans for undergraduate introductory and intermediate poetry writing classes
- Provided students with instruction in both basic formal elements of poetry and in editing & revision, emphasizing importance of leveraging language to improve clarity, impact, and quality of student poet's message
- Advised students, evaluated and provided meaningful feedback on student work, and maintained grade book
- Oversaw weekly workshops of student work, and facilitated class discussions of assigned readings and other material.
Writer and Web Video Creator
Washington University in St. Louis
08.2017 - 08.2018
- Utilized archival materials in combination with filmed interviews to create three simultaneous, ongoing series of web videos and blog posts highlighting three major events for University Library's Special Collections department
- Maintained blog posts using HTML and CSS in Wordpress
- Major accomplishments: distilled 3+ hour video interview with writer and Hemingway associate A.E Hotchner into series of concise, informative web videos and blog posts supported by archival photography and manuscript materials
- Maintained regular delivery schedule on all projects despite one high priority project, a series of blog posts supporting lead up to memorial events for writer and Wash U emeritus professor William H. Gass following his unexpected death, needing to be worked into previously established delivery schedules.
Video Rental Customer Service Associate
Vidéothèque
12.2012 - 08.2016
- Produced monthly customer email blast, highlighting new releases, upcoming events, and designing monthly trivia contest, writing in approachable and humorous manner appropriately tailored to time of year and recent events.
- Utilized interpersonal and communications skills to facilitate smooth customer relationships, even in high-friction interactions such as collection of fees for loss, damage, or late return of items.
- Managed rentals and sales database utilizing both professional video rental management software and custom software developed by shop's in-house IT.
- Curated rotating selections of highlighted films, and provided viewing recommendations to customer utilizing knowledge of both film and customer taste and interests to maintain consistent customer satisfaction.
- Actively listened to customers, handled concerns quickly and escalated major issues to supervisor.
- Helped large volume of customers every day with positive attitude and focus on customer satisfaction.
Online Communications Assistant
California Institute of Technology
05.2008 - 05.2012
- Created weekly email blast highlighting recent articles about important Institute events and developments, providing brief summaries describing often highly technical subjects in clear, approachable, digestible language
- Created web videos highlighting various aspects of Institute life, including educational, extracurricular, and social events
- Curated extensive Institute archive of events photography, selecting which photos were best for communications purposes
- Supported effort to revamp Institute website, participating in design discussions, taking notes, and helping create mockups of discussed design possibilities.
Education
Master of Fine Arts - Creative Writing (Poetry)
Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis, MO05.2018
Bachelor of Arts - English, Creative Writing
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA2012
Skills
- Creative Writing
- Copywriting
- Editing, Proofreading & Copy Editing
- Written and Oral Communication
- Strong Team Orientation
- Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Lightroom, Premiere,
- Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint
- Wordpress, familiarity with HTML/CSS
- Photography, Videography
- Active Listening
- Customer Service
- Lateral and Associative thinking to arrive at solutions to novel problems and situations
Timeline
Interlibrary Loan/Reserves Assistant
Washington University in St. Louis
01.2020 - 09.2023
Instructor and Teaching Fellow
Washington University in St. Louis
08.2017 - 06.2019
Writer and Web Video Creator
Washington University in St. Louis
08.2017 - 08.2018
Video Rental Customer Service Associate
Vidéothèque
12.2012 - 08.2016
Online Communications Assistant
California Institute of Technology
05.2008 - 05.2012
Master of Fine Arts - Creative Writing (Poetry)
Washington University in St. Louis
Bachelor of Arts - English, Creative Writing
University of Southern California
Similar Profiles
Brandon Kiley, MDBrandon Kiley, MD
Resident Physician at Washington University in St. Louis/BJC ConsortiumResident Physician at Washington University in St. Louis/BJC Consortium
SARAH C. GOODESARAH C. GOODE
Education and DEI Manager at Office of Technology Management, Washington University in St. LouisEducation and DEI Manager at Office of Technology Management, Washington University in St. Louis
Alisha L. Wood LindstromAlisha L. Wood Lindstrom
Registrar at Washington University in St. Louis / Brown SchoolRegistrar at Washington University in St. Louis / Brown School
Srihari YamunanSrihari Yamunan
Masters Student at Washington University in St LouisMasters Student at Washington University in St Louis
JENNIFER WILKINSJENNIFER WILKINS
Pilot at JetBlue AirwaysPilot at JetBlue Airways