Congratulations to Dr. Christine Fena on Receiving Tenure and Promotion to Associate Librarian

Posted on September 4, 2025 by Janet Clarke

The University Libraries are proud to announce the tenure and promotion of Dr. Christine Fena, Undergraduate Success Librarian. Holding an M.S. in Library and Information Science from the University at Buffalo and a Ph.D. in Music History and Theory from Stony Brook University, Dr. Fena exemplifies subject mastery and innovative librarianship. She works closely with the Program in Writing and Rhetoric, the History Department, multiple offices in Student Affairs, among others, developing robust research guides and curriculum resources that have enriched the academic experience for countless students.

Dr. Christine Fena

Before becoming a librarian, Dr. Fena’s research as a musicologist centered on the intersections of music, sound, and place in her dissertation (2011) examining how American modernist composers navigated the machine age, urban environments, and the cultural symbolism of the player piano. This early focus on the relationship between people, technologies, and environments shaped her transition into library and information science, where she now investigates how individuals and communities engage with information in specific contexts. Her work spans both disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives: for example, her study of the information behaviors of choral directors in the Journal of Documentation (2021) explored how professional communities navigate specialized information needs, while her co-authored study in WLN: A Journal of Writing Center Scholarship (2021) analyzed how students experience research and writing support environments. Dr. Fena was one of the first librarians to explore the impact of generative AI when ChatGPT launched in late 2022, presenting to an audience of over 200 in spring, 2023. Across these projects, recurring themes emerge–serendipity in information seeking, the impact of environments on information behavior, and the ways communities construct meaning from information. Whether through archival case studies, collaborative teaching-focused research, or analyses of professional practices, Dr. Fena’s scholarship seeks to illuminate how people encounter, interpret, and transform information within the places and systems that surround them. Her research has garnered accolades, from the Society for American Music for Outstanding Conference Paper (2009), and from the State University of New York Librarians Association (SUNYLA) for her co-authored article “Being able to play for a larger audience”: Student musician perspectives on performing in library spaces in Creators in the Academic Library: Library Services for Artists, Designers, Engineers, and More (2023). Currently, Dr. Fena is co-PI on a grant to develop critical AI literacies for faculty and staff.

Dr. Fena’s service record is equally distinguished. She has chaired key search committees, contributed to the 2024–2029 Library Strategic Plan, and played a vital role in the University’s Middle States Accreditation self-study. At the professional level, she has served in leadership roles within the Association of College and Research Libraries, reviewed for the Journal of Documentation, and fostered collaborations among academic, secondary, and public librarians through the Long Island Library Resources Council.

Committed to equity and inclusion, Dr. Fena has worked to integrate diversity into curriculum, resource development, and programming. As co–principal investigator on a multi-year $150,000 Ready for Success grant, she helped students from social and economically disadvantaged schools develop critical research and information literacy skills. Her teaching emphasizes recognizing and addressing bias in information systems, empowering students to engage thoughtfully with the research process.

Dr. Fena’s tenure reflects her unwavering dedication to student success, scholarly excellence, and collaborative service. Her leadership, creativity, and commitment to advancing the mission of the University Libraries make her a valued colleague and an essential contributor to Stony Brook’s academic community. We congratulate Dr. Fena on this well-deserved achievement and look forward to her continued impact in the years ahead.