CURRENT POSITION Teaching and Learning Librarian at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas DEGREE MLIS, University of Denver, 2016 FAST FACT Heinbach once spent six months couch surfing and camping around the country with a friend. FOLLOW chelseaheinbach.com; libparlor.com; bit.ly/LitWinHeinbach Photo courtesy of University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Parlor Talk

The Librarian Parlor (aka LibParlor), which Chelsea Heinbach cofounded and operates with Nimisha Bhat, Hailley Fargo, and Charissa Powell, is a platform for library workers and LIS students to ask questions, discuss issues, and share expertise on developing, pursuing, and publishing library research. The project was conceived when Heinbach attended her first large library conference and encountered likeminded library workers who also felt the need for a centralized meeting place. LibParlor launched as a blog in 2017, and the site has nearly 200 posts from more than 100 library workers.

In 2021, LibParlor received a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to construct LibParlor Online Learning (LPOL), a free, open source online curriculum of learning modules. The modules will contain readings and activities to build capacity for academic library and information science professionals to conduct and publish original research.

LPOL is on track to launch in 2024. “In 2022, we brought together nearly 30 members of the LIS community to discuss their experiences conducting LIS research to inform the curriculum,” Heinbach says. “I can’t wait to see how it evolves. ”Pointing to Heinbach’s other endeavors on behalf of the staff and patrons of the University of Nevada–Las Vegas libraries, as well as the library profession—e.g., coauthoring Dismantling Deficit Thinking in Academic Libraries with Rosan Mitola and Erin Rinto and launching student, faculty, and staff biannual Wikipedia edit-a-thons for content creation—colleague Darcy Del Bosque says “she opens doorways for others, helping to break down systemic barriers.”