When most people think of librarians, they probably think about books and reference questions, not data sets and charts and graphs. They probably also don’t think about the CIA as a place where a librarian would typically work. Meet Stacie Powell.
A native of Oconee County, Powell joined the faculty at Clemson Libraries as data services librarian in March 2024. She is not new to Clemson, however, as both she and her husband James are Clemson alumni.
“I love Clemson. Some of my fondest memories were from my college years on this campus,” she said. “I spent many nights in Cooper Library on the bottom floor where the history books were located.”
After earning her bachelor’s in history from the University in 2002, Powell earned her Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of South Carolina. She first worked in public libraries in both Oconee and Anderson counties in a variety of roles, including assistant branch manager, branch manager, reference librarian and children’s librarian.
She then worked as an academic librarian at Southern Wesleyan University before life took a turn that would take her and her family to Washington, D.C.
“My career took this crazy trajectory, I don’t even really know how it happened, but this unique opportunity came up to go work for the Central Intelligence Agency,” Powell said. “That’s where I really earned my chops in data management.”
Powell began working for the CIA in 2020 as a lead data management coordinator and data management officer for the Directorate of Science and Technology.
“There are a lot of overlaps between data management and librarianship — cataloging, storage, pulling information, securing information,” she said. “They like to hire librarians in the CIA to help with all the data they collect.”
Powell said while she loved living in the D.C. area, her husband and two children missed small-town life and the family and friends they left behind in South Carolina. When the data services librarian position in Clemson Libraries became available, Powell said it was the perfect opportunity to come back home.
Powell has two main roles in the Libraries. As data services librarian, she assists student, faculty and staff researchers with managing their data and creating data management plans, which are often required to secure grant funding, especially federal grants.
“Most federally funded research needs to open. To ensure that researchers are going to have their data be open and accessible, they need to have a data management plan,” she said. “I help them navigate that process and determine where to put their data.”
Powell’s other role is director of the Data Visualization Lab. Located in room 413 of Cooper Library, the lab serves as a resource to help students, faculty and staff with sharing their data and making it visual. The lab has a team of graduate assistants that help users of all skill levels with data programs such as Python, MATLAB, Excel and PowerBI. One of Powell’s goals is to increase usage of the lab and raise awareness on campus of the services they have to offer.
“I think this is another way we can showcase the value of the Libraries,” Powell said. “Data is a powerful tool, and I want people to know that we provide support for it in the library.”