Virginia Tucker

PO Box 92, Custer WA 98240-0092

Phone: 360.961.3964

Email: vt@virginiatucker.com Web: www.virginiatucker.com

Skills Summary

* Versatile and imaginative with changing job requirements, able to work creatively in shifting sands * Excellent interpersonal skills and collaborative abilities * Experienced librarian, including legal research, reference, management, and collection development

* Committed to customer, whether in direct contact or working behind scenes * Able to envision the big picture and juggle attention to detail at the same time * Instructor, courseware developer, and technical writer

Education

PhD Candidate, Queensland University of Technology

Information science studies in progress

Masters, University of California at Berkeley

Library and information science

B.A., Stanford University

Music composition; minor concentration in physics

Post graduate studies, University of Washington

Coursework and practicum toward Masters in Education

Post-Baccalaureate Paralegal Studies, Whatcom Community College

Paralegal professional certificate

Experience

Present

Faculty, Part-time, San José State Univ., School of Library & Information Science

* Teach information retrieval & online searching courses in Masters degree program.

Librarian, Whatcom County Law Librarian, Bellingham, WA

* Provide reference service to attorneys, county citizens and employees; manage collection development, budget, interactions with courts, jail, and other departments.

Paralegal, Barron Smith Daugert, PLLC, Bellingham, WA

* Paralegal to senior attorney with focus on real property law, commercial litigation, and adoptions.

1997 to 2003

Information Architect & Technical Writer, Dialog Corp./Thomson Co., Mtn. View, CA

Architecture, Analysis, & Design Group—Software Engineering

Information architect and documentalist for web-based search products, for both casual users and information professionals, and command-driven systems for search experts.

* Direct design and definition, incorporating marketing input, vision documents, and competitor data to create effective specifications, and prototypes.

* Determine the optimal flow of information from multiple databases, crafting the navigation, search forms, database groupings, and input translation.

* Conduct usability forums with alpha testers and customer groups; create documentation for support and selling the product; design and write online helps.

* Customer empathy in all aspects of analysis and design resulted in usable portals, leading to quick and precise research answers for the target users.

* Excerpt from most recent performance review: “Virginia is particularly innovative and effective at synthesizing customer needs, marketing requirements, and development demands into successful interface designs. She displays brilliance in her creativity and original thinking and has produced innovative approaches and ideas that are far above expectations.”

1990 to 1996	Information Industry Consultant, Woodinville, WA Curriculum Development * Introductory online searching user guide. * College textbook for online searching, including exercises & teacher guide. Materials are used in graduate school programs for information professionals across the U.S. Technical Writing * Content guides for databases in physics, computer science, business. * Application-centered instructional manuals for chemical research and intellectual property, patents and trademarks. “Field guide” series was first of its kind and expanded to multiple self-instruction guides.
1982 to 1989	Manager, Instructional Services, Knight-Ridder Information/Dialog, Palo Alto, CA Managed worldwide customer training programs and seminar materials for customer base of over 100,000 users and 50 instructors. * During tenure, seminar attendance grew tenfold and department created and marketed for the first time self-instructional programs, including computer-based tutorials, self-paced video training, and self-study manuals. * Personally conducted over 2,000 hours of customer seminar on topics of online searching, scientific reference research, and database construction. Presented in‑house courses for company’s technical staff. * Directed creation of all training materials, including hiring of outside contractors. Supervised five employees and served as liaison to all regional offices.
	Customer Consultant & Trainer; Sci-Tech Database Specialist * Provided direct customer support and training for databases in physics and engineering. * Served as subject matter expert on development teams for new scientific databases.
1978 to 1982	Head Librarian & Bibliographer, Physics Library, Stanford University, Stanford, CA One of Stanford’s research branch libraries, serving a primary clientele of 100 faculty, 150 research staff, and 225 graduate students. * Managed all operations of library: 40,000+-volume research collection, library staff, collection development, and faculty liaison. * Earned university tenure one year early due to outstanding performance.
Community Service	Board Member, Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center, Bellingham WA Member, Paralegal Advisory Board, Whatcom Community College, Bellingham WA Volunteer, Legal Assistance by Whatcom (LAW) Advocates, Bellingham WA
Commendations & Professional Activities	Presenter, Legal Research CLE, Washington State Bar Assn, Seattle, 2007 and 2008 Award of Excellence Nominee 2003, Thomson Company Conference Speaker, International Online Conference, Sydney, Australia Guest Lecturer, University of California at Berkeley, School of Information Sciences California Arts Council Recipient, radio program on female composers American Society for Information Science, Best Paper Award, Student Member
	Virginia Tucker PO Box 92, Custer WA 98240-0092 Phone: 360.961.3964 Email: vt@virginiatucker.com Web: www.virginiatucker.com