Library

Head Librarian Alison English came to VUSC in 1994 as cataloging and reference librarian and became Head Librarian in 1996. She earned a BS in education and an MLS at the University of Alabama, and her PhD in Communication from Regent University. Prior to her employment at VUSC, Alison worked as a corporate librarian for Alabama Power Company and Southern Company Services in Birmingham. When she moved west, she became Director of Communications for a California-based missions organization. On campus, Alison has been involved in drama productions, and she directed the VUSC Spring 1998 production of Arsenic and Old Lace. 

Her interests include drama, music theater, reading, walking, Southeastern Conference football, and golfing with VUSC colleagues.  

Mel Covetta began working at VUSC in 1980 and is now Associate Professor/Librarian with primary responsibilities in reference, and supervising all aspects of periodicals--budgeting, maintenance, collating, and storage. A native of Ohio, Mel earned a BS in education at Trevecca Nazarene University and an MLS from Kent State University. 

Besides working at VUSC, Mel has been employed as an on-call librarian in the Newport Beach Public Library system since 1982. His interests include gardening, coin collecting, reading, cooking, movies, real estate, and the desert. 

Mary Wilson came to VUSC in 1989. She is Associate Professor/Librarian with responsibilities in cataloging, reference, instruction, and in maintaining the VUSC Library Web Site. She is a native North Dakotan and earned her BA in history, English, and elementary education at Minot State University. In 1983 she completed her MLS coursework at Emporia State University in Kansas. She has also earned a master's degree in Humanities from California State University, Dominguez Hills. At VU she has taught writing classes in the SPS program and is academic advisor for about 20 undeclared students.

Her interests include the Internet, library instruction, adult education, general education, and her four smart and beautiful granddaughters, her outstanding grandson, and their parents. When she's not in the library, she's out camping and hiking in the mountains, all the while reading her Kindle. 
Faculty Home Page

Elena Nipper is our newest Reference and Instruction Librarian, and joins us as an Assistant Professor. She received her MLIS in December of 2008 from San Jose State University, and graduated from VU with a BA in History and Political Science and an MA in Religion. Her responsibilities include reference, instruction, acquisitions, maintaining the budget, and interlibrary loans, among other things.

Elena holds memberships with Beta Phi Mu (the Library and Information Studies Honor Society), the American Theological Library Association, California Academic and Research Libraries, and the Society of Biblical Literature. Her professional interests include theological librarianship, international collaboration, grant seeking, and library outreach.

As an eternal student of history and theology, she understands the pressures of academic life and therefore keeps a plentiful supply of chocolate on hand to fulfill the immediate needs of stressed out students, staff and faculty alike. In her free time, she enjoys listening to KCRW, reading 18^th century Gothic literature, watching European summer cycling races, traveling for mission and pleasure, and laughing.

Jack Morgan is our newest library staff member, joining us in April 2007 as circulation supervisor. Jack was born in northeast Maine and raised in New Brunswick, Canada. He received a B.A. in Bible from Central Bible College, and an M.A.  in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. Jack pastored for 22 years in New Brunswick, Ontario, British Columbia, and Springfield, MA.

He enjoys fishing, hiking, and camping in the High Sierras, and skiis whenever he can the chance. Currently, one of his main preoccupations is keeping up with his 3 teenagers, Heather, David, and Katie.

Former Faculty and Staff 

After serving for twenty years as Head Librarian and two more years as an Associate Librarian, Ken Tracy officially retired in 1995. He is a fourth-generation native Californian, born in San Francisco. After graduating from Central Bible College in Springfield, MO, he served as an Assemblies of God pastor for nearly twenty years. Ken completed a B.A. and an M.A. in education at San Francisco State College and taught in public schools for twelve years, in addition to pastoring. A career change led him to earn an M.A. in Library Science and subsequently he served as a public school librarian for three years before coming to VUSC. In his span of 26 years here, he has seen the VUSC collection grow from under 45,000 volumes to over 120,000 volumes, the number of library personnel increase two-fold, and the introduction of modern technology into the library. 

Effie Rivera retired from the library in 2001 after twelve years of service at VUSC. She has been the Library's Purchasing Agent. Effie is a native of Oklahoma and grew up in the wheatfields of Kansas. She earned a business degree in accounting at Wichita Business College.

Effie works very actively with people in recovery programs, having been active in 12-Step Recovery programs herself for the past 18 years. She has a vision for rehabilitation and recover facilities for the mentally challenged. Her top priority interest and activity is spending quality, fun time with her 11 grandchildren and her children. She enjoys gardening, walking, writing, and reading. She also works with the Community Oriented Policing Program and various other programs promoting drug-free communities. 

Donna Zeigler, former Technical Services Supervisor at O. Cope Budge Library, had been at VUSC for over sixteen years before she retired in 2000. Her responsibilities included InterLibrary Loan, supervision of book processing and catalog editing, and supervision of the library during holidays and summer break in the absence of the librarians. She was also involved in the development of the Pentecostal Collection and the VUSC Archive, both housed in the library.

She and her husband Virgil came to VUSC after pastoring churches in Michigan, in South Dakota on the Lower Brule Reservation, and in Tucson, Arizona, where they spent twenty-two years working in the inner city and with Teen Challenge. Even after retirement, Donna still enjoys involving herself in many VUSC student activities and attends every sporting event possible. Her husband, four children and their families are dear to her heart.

In 2006 Heather Barrington  left VU for a position as a children's librarian in the LA County Public Library system. She is an alumna of VUSC,  graduating in 1997 with a BA in History/Political Science. She completed master's degree in Library and Information Science at San Jose State and is an excellent reference librarian. Heather enjoys books, puzzles, chocolate, and the color blue. She refers to her sense of humor as "quirky." Heather loves the library environment and has been heard on many occasions to utter the phrase "there's never a dull moment in the library." 

Elizabeth Girard recently left VU for greener pastures and hotter climates in Phoenix, where her husband is a new teacher. After graduating with a BA in Psychology from VU, she was Circulation Supervisor, with duties mainly in the evenings. Elizabeth is a professional dog trainer, and while working in the library as a student, she trained Billie and Bo, two golden retrievers, as seeing eye dogs.

Travis Goode was our circulation supervisor for 2006-2007. Travis is a graduate of VU with a BA in Anthropology and Sociology. He is currently working in the Interlibrary Loan Department at USC.