Chris Byrns is the Associate Director of Library Services, based at Knoxville's Parkside Library. He has been with South College since March 2025.
- Name the question you get asked the most and share your go-to solution.
Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of APA citation questions. My go-to solution is the APA 7th Edition guide on the South College Library website. When it comes to APA, you’d be hard pressed to find a more user-friendly or better sourced guide.
- Point to one resource you wish students would utilize more and why it matters.
I wish more students took advantage of the tutorials on the library website. A lot of work has gone into creating these short, 2–3 minute videos, and they’re packed with useful information. Since all South College programs require library engagement, and research-intensive programs even more so, learning how to make the most of these resources is an investment that always pays off.
- What’s one behind-the-scenes task that, if skipped, students would feel tomorrow?
I help coordinate room reservations at the Parkside Library. Between testing and studying, demand is high. Without this mediation, students would struggle to secure quiet study areas or rooms needed for makeup and accommodations testing.
- What inspired you to seek out a job in libraries?
Like many librarians, my path wasn’t direct. I originally planned to be an educator but couldn’t secure a position right after graduation. Since I had worked at John C. Hodges Library while at UT-Knoxville, I found a job at Lawson McGhee Library in Knoxville, which I thought would be a placeholder. I ended up loving it and decided to stay. What I enjoy most about being a librarian is the variety of people you meet and tasks to complete. People think they know what librarians do, but the scope is much broader than they realize. The only real throughline is that librarians help people solve problems.
- If you could recommend one book that everyone should read, what would it be?
After 12 years as a public librarian, I developed a deep appreciation for picture books. They’re far more impactful than most people realize. My favorite is Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, about a girl who transforms her cold, dreary town with a magical box of yarn. But the one I think everyone should read is The Fate of Fausto by Oliver Jeffers, a powerful story about the pitfalls of greed.
- What’s the movie you’re watching every Christmas?
My family really leans into the holidays with activities and movies every year. If I had to pick one, it’s Home Alone. As a 90s kid, I was the target audience when it first came out, and now watching it with my children is a highlight of the season. It’s a fun reminder that family, even when they are the worst, are actually the best. Honorable mention goes to the 1964 stop-motion Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. As a bearded redhead, I’ve always had a soft spot for Yukon Cornelius.