Valerie Forrestal Email & Phone Number

Hello! I am the Web Services Librarian and an Associate Professor at the College of Staten Island, City University of New York. I received my MLIS from Rutgers University, as well as an MA in Digital Media Production from Emerson College and an MS in Service-Oriented Computing from Stevens Institute of Technology.I specialize in web development, social media, technology planning, and innovation in libraries and higher ed, and I occasionally write books and articles about library technology. Right now my main focus is universal design for the web, and accessibility in virtual learning environments, especially regarding the importance of clear and consistent information organization. How very librarian of me! I'm currently working on a website redesign that has accessibility baked in from step one, with the understanding that universal design is actually better for *everyone*. I also have a particular interest in the intersection of psychology and tech, especially involving the online proliferation of misinformation and conspiratorial thinking, along with the use of metacognition to help define, understand, and shore-up objective reality, especially in the neurodivergent community.

Listed skills include Educational Technology, Educational Outreach, Technology Enhanced Learning And Teaching, Information And Communication Technologies, and 46 others.