by Heaven Thornton

I had the opportunity to speak with Jasmine Plott, Greensboro College’s new Reference and Instruction Librarian, and learn a bit more about her. Plott has an extensive educational background, with a Master of Library Science (M.L.S.), Juris Doctor (J.D.) and B.A. in English and Psychology, all from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was able to complete a dual program for her M.L.S and J.D. at Chapel Hill, allowing her to complete her master’s degrees in four years instead of the typical five.

Before working at GC’s library, Plott practiced law in various public settings such as working as a legal aid and appeals referee. During her time as a legal aid, she did a lot of incredible work related to the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on people’s ability to afford housing. Plott worked with the guidelines of the Eviction Moratorium issued by the CDC, which barred eviction for unpaid rent during the pandemic, helping families stay safely homed. She also did some work with domestic violence cases and saw first-hand how the pandemic exacerbated the issue for many people.

When asked what inspired her to pursue both library and law, Plott stated that she had always been sort of interested in both, and because she found that she had many interests, she really gravitated towards these two as they are both very interdisciplinary. At the core, Plott said she is most interested in “the role that information has and how it is handled.”

“With law, you use information that people give you to advocate on their behalf,” she said. “When you are working with library science or information science, you are giving people that information that they can use to help themselves.”

“It is really amazing to watch someone succeed by giving them the tools and then they go out and do it. Those are things that always really drew me in because I loved helping people.”

While we talked, Plott also asserted that she recognizes the privileges she has had in her life, which she strives to utilize for the benefit of others.

“I have always seen how life hits people differently, and I feel like I have had a really fortunate life, and I wanted to use that to help others.”

Plott shared that she learned a lot during her time doing legal work about the way many people are “written off” due to their life circumstances or not taken seriously, which is a factor she felt drawn to with legal work. She feels very passionately about helping those who were dealt less fortunate cards than she and finds advocating for others or helping others advocate for themselves to be very rewarding.

Outside of working at James Addison Jones Library, Plott enjoys time with her husband, who she met in her sophomore year of college, and their dog, Swirl. She is also fond of knitting, crocheting, reading and casual gaming as ways to unwind and relax.

As far as reading goes, Plott says she is currently reading “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt. She was just getting started on this book when we spoke, and did not have many comments yet, but said she really loved the characters so far. She has also just recently finished “Recipe for Persuasion” by Sonali Dev. Plott discussed that she really loved Dev’s works because of their substance in the midst of a romantic plot.

“They are romance books, but they delve into really deep issues like family trauma, racial issues – all that stuff, it’s in there.”

Her favorite genres to read are generally fantasy, fiction and horror, and like “Recipe for Persuasion” she enjoys books with fun plots that also touch on deeper subjects, as it makes them more realistic and meaningful for her.

Jasmine Plott is a great addition to the GC team and is a valuable resource for any kind of research you may be conducting, or information that you may need.

She can be found on the main level of the library or contacted at jasmine.plott@greensboro.edu. She has a huge heart for serving others and was an absolute pleasure to chat with.