Patricia Sobczak

Business and Public Affairs Collections Librarian

Assistant Professor
Collections and Discovery, Collection Analysis and Investment

(804) 828-2729
James Branch Cabell Library, Room 200
psobczak@vcu.edu

Education

• Ph.D. Human and Organizational Systems, Fielding Graduate University
• M.A. Library and Information Science, San Jose State University
• M.B.A., Pepperdine University
• B.A. Business Administration, California State University

Previous professional experience

• Vice President, Sobo Associates LLC, 2013-2014 
• Director of Development, Leatherby Libraries and the College of Educational Studies, Chapman University, 2008-2013
• Interim Associate Dean, Extended Education, Chapman University, 2007-2008
• Director, Community Relations, Extended Education, Chapman University, 2006-2007
• Director, Chapman University College Irvine Campus, 2001-2006

Selected presentations

• Hodge, M., Sobczak, P. & Spooner, N. (2016). Claiming a seat at the table: Inclusive paths to leadership in academic libraries and beyond. Poster Session at the International Leadership Association (ILA) Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA.
• Peacemaker, B. & Sobczak, P. (2016). Innovation in libraries may be as simple as staying on the bus. Presented at The Entrepreneurial Librarian Conference, Greensboro, NC.
• Sobczak, P. (2016). Leadership development in libraries. Presented at the VCU Libraries Salon, Richmond, VA.
• Sobczak, P. (2016). Got change? Leading the shifting landscape of librarianship. Presented at the Virginia Special Libraries Association (VASLA) Meeting, Richmond, VA.
• Peacemaker, B., Sobczak, P., Roseberry, M. & Robinson, S. (2015). Can you spare 2 hours? Target your audience with customized e-news. Poster Session presented at the Virginia Library Association (VLA) Conference, Richmond, VA.
• Johnson, J. & Sobczak, P. (2015). Approaches to leadership development in ibraries and museums: The global leader development landscape. Presented at the 2015 International Leadership Association (ILA) Conference, Barcelona, Spain.
• Sobczak, P. (2015). Library leaders as leet noobs. Presented at the California State University Council of Library Deans Retreat, San Francisco, CA.
• Sobczak, P. (2015). Persistent worlds: Shaping everyday life. Presented as part   of the Berglund Seminars Series, Virginia Commonwealth University,  Richmond, VA.
• Sobczak, P. (2015). Persistent virtual worlds: Shaping everyday realities. Presented at Digital Pragmata, Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries, Richmond, VA.
• Sobczak, P. (2015). Librarians as leaders: 21st century challenges = leadership opportunities for librarians. Presented at The Collective Conference, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN.
• Sobczak, P. (2013). Ephemeral leadership development in virtual worlds. Presented at the 2013 International Leadership Association Conference, Montreal, Canada.
• Dechow, D. & Sobczak, P. (2012). Knowledge production, play, the mangle, & ephemeral leadership. Presented at the Association of Interdisciplinary Systems Conference, Rochester, MI.
• Dechow, D. & Sobczak, P. (2012). Mangling work and play in immersive worlds. Invited presentation for the Knox College Computer Science Colloquium.
• Dechow, D. & Sobczak, P. (2012). Making the mangle: Users, artifacts, and agency. Poster session presented at the IEEE International Games Innovation Conference.
• Dechow, D. & Sobczak, P. (2011). Play and resistance: Bridging the gap of knowledge acquisition through virtual worlds. Invited presentation at Chancellor's Interdisciplinary Luncheon, Chapman University.
• Sobczak, P. (2010). Education and the twenty-first century. Presented at panel discussion at the Orange County Business Council, Irvine, CA.
• Sobczak, P. (2008). When worlds collide: Finding the hidden value of video gaming. Presented at the Orange County Fair, Costa Mesa, CA.
• Sobczak, P. & Takemoto, S. (2008). Panel on "Leadership and Video Games," Learning Society Conference, Madison, WI.

Selected publications

• Hibben, Y., Peacemaker, B. & Sobczak, P. (2018). A creativity feast: Inspiring business faculty with comic books and styrofoam. In the Association of College & Research Libraries - ACRL (Eds.) The Library Outreach Cookbook (publication pending).
• Bradshaw, A.K. & Sobczak, P.D. (2018). Professional development in libraries: One size does not fit all. Conference Proceedings from the Charleston Library Conference, Charleston, S.C. (Publication will be available 10/18)
• Davis-Winthrop, E., Farley, K., Lawal, I. & Sobczak, P. (2018). One root, many trees: Reviving collections practices. Conference Proceedings from the Charleston Library Conference, Charleston, S.C. (Publication will be available 10/18)
• Bradshaw, A.K. & Sobczak, P.D. (2017). Professional development in libraries: One size does not fit all. Presented at the Charleston Library Conference, Charleston, S.C.
• Davis-Winthrop, E., Farley, K., Lawal, I. & Sobczak, P. (2017). One root, many trees: Reviving collections practices. Presented at the Charleston Library Conference, Charleston, S.C.
• Peacemaker, B. & Sobczak, P. (2017). Innovation in libraries may be as simple as staying on the bus. Conference Proceedings from the Entrepreneurial Librarian Conference, Greensboro, NC.
• Dechow, D. & Sobczak, P. (2013). Mangling work and play in immersive worlds. In D.G. Stuppa & J. Gunner (Eds.), The Chapman University Interdisciplinary Times; Time, Alloy, Play (Vol. 5). Orange, CA: Chapman University.
• Sobczak, P. (2012). Ephemeral leadership in the workplace and in on-line gaming. Ph.D. Dissertation, Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara, CA. 

Professional organizations

• Association of Fundraising Professionals 
• International Leadership Association
• Toastmasters International 
• Vital Link, Committee Member
• Padres Unidos, Board Member