The Miami University Libraries is excited to welcome Erica Freed as our new Business Librarian. Erica comes to us most recently from UNC Chapel Hill, but her journey has been extensive. “I’ve worked in archives and public libraries in my home state of Georgia, corporate libraries here in Ohio, and academic libraries in North Carolina at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School,” she said.
As the Business Librarian, Erica will be helping students across all disciplines at Farmer School of Business in their research and study needs, including identifying and helping them navigate business resources and databases available here at Miami. This includes the departments of Accountancy, Business, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Management, and Marketing. She will collaborate with Abi Morgan, Social Sciences Librarian, in Entrepreneurship and Marketing especially to help students in market and industry research.
Erica ran across the Miami University Libraries’ job posting while she was running a jobs list for her cohort at UNC. She says she leapt at the opportunity to come back to Ohio. “I loved working with the business students at UNC and enjoyed my time working and living previously in Columbus. I knew I wanted to be back in the Midwest.”
We recognize how lucky we were to be able to find and hire a candidate like Erica. Kevin Messner, Head of the Advise and Instruct Department, said, “We’re thrilled to be able to bring Erica to MUL as Business Librarian. In her interviews Erica showed great awareness of what our subject specialist librarians need to focus on – namely our students and instructional mission – as well as facility with the technical knowledge resources we provide for the FSB academic programs.”
When she isn’t teaching, Erica enjoys cooking and hosting dinner parties and taking yoga classes. She says, “Exploring Hueston Woods and the surrounding areas of Oxford has been such a welcome surprise- summer in Ohio is undefeated. I really appreciate living in town because it’s all walkable and there are lots of local businesses.”
Students can reach Erica by email at freede@miamioh.edu or by scheduling an in-person or Zoom appointment through the library website. She is also available for drop-ins at her office, located at 201 King Library.