Skip to main content

Brian Sturm

 

By

Brian Sturm

Professor

Pronouns

He/Him/His

Phone

(919) 962-2460

Email

sturm@ils.unc.edu

Office

Manning Hall - 204

Expertise

Storytelling and folklore, children's and young adults' literature and public library services, immersion and engagement in information environments, bibliotherapy.

Education

BA, College of William and Mary
MLS, PhD, Indiana University

Biography

Dr. Brian Sturm is a Professor at the UNC School of Information and Library Science (SILS). His research focuses on immersion in information environments, the state of being completely engrossed in whatever you are doing, whether that’s reading, story listening, or playing video games. Most people have been “lost in a book” or deeply engaged in some form of media, and Dr. Sturm has dedicated his career to exploring the experience of immersion and the various influences that help us get immersed. Prior to his academic career, Dr. Sturm was a natural history museum docent, gave planetarium shows, worked as a wildlife rehabilitator, and taught outdoor education to 5th graders in California. He has also been a professional storyteller for over 30 years.

Courses

INLS 733 Administration of Public Library Work with Children and Young Adults
INLS 732 Children’s Literature and Related Materials
INLS 558 Principles and Techniques of Storytelling

Awards

2023 SILS Edward G. Holley For the Good of the Order Award
2019 Nominated for UNC Faculty Award for Excellence in Doctoral Mentoring.
2016-2018 Frances Carroll McColl Term Associate Professorship.
2013 Frank Porter Graham Honor Society. For “significant contributions to the development of graduate and professional student education at the University.”
2009 Nominated for ALISE award for Teaching Excellence .
2002 SILS Deborah Barreau Award for Teaching Excellence

Publications

Nelson, Sarah Beth and Brian W. Sturm (2024). Storytelling and oral tradition in LIS: The state of LIS research. Encyclopedia of Libraries, Librarianship, and Information Science.

Hughes-Hassell, Sandra, Casey Rawson, Linda Braun, and Brian W. Sturm. (2022). The future of youth public librarian education project: Initial findings. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 64, 3, 331-347.

Wang, Pianran, Jianhua Xu, Brian W. Sturm, Qi Kang, and Yingying Wu. (2022).  Books, physical spaces, rules, people: A holistic analysis of young Chinese children’s perceptions of public libraries. Journal of Librarianship & Information Science, 54, 2, 239-250.

Sturm, Brian W. (2020). “The hidden voices of symbolism and superstition in the Hungarian folktale of “The Rooster and the Diamond Button”, Storytelling, Self, Society, 15, 2, 145-165.

Media