EDUCATION
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN — MLIS
Information Sciences
August 2016-August 2017
Brock University, St. Catharines, ON — MA
Philosophy
August 2004-June 2006
Hofstra University, Uniondale, NY — BA
English
August 1998-May 2002
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PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro- Archivist, Special Collections
February 2025-Present
Cheekwood Estate and Gardens, Nashville– Archivist
August 2022-January 2024
Fisk University, Nashville- Special Collections Librarian
January 2021-August 2022
American Baptist College, Nashville- Various Roles
Director of Library Services: August 2019-January 2021
Academic Library Consultant: January 2021-October 2022
Adjunct Professor: January 2021-Present
Tennessee State Library & Archives, Nashville — Rare Books Intern
May 2017-August 2017
Vanderbilt University, Nashville — Cataloging Intern
May 2017-August 2017
University of Tennessee, Knoxville — Graduate Assistant
August 2016-August 2017
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TEACHING EXPERIENCE
American Baptist College, Nashville—Adjunct Professor
August 2018-Present
Courses Taught: Intro to Philosophy, Disinformation & Conspiracy Theories, Social Justice & The Internet, Digital Literacy, Death and Dying
Art Institute of TN, Nashville — Instructor
July 2009-December 2009
Courses Taught: Critical Thinking
Columbia State Community College, Franklin— Instructor
September 2006-December 2006
Courses Taught: Introduction to Philosophy¸ PHIL 1030
Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada—Teaching Assistant
September 2005-May 2005
Courses Taught: Intro to Philosophy
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PUBLICATIONS
Spinelli, Robert and Matthew Hannah. (Editors). Forthcoming. ‘Conspiracy Theories & The Information Society,’ Berghahn Books: New York.
Spinelli, Robert and Bethan Jones. ‘Between memorialisation and monetisation: tribute concerts, posthumous album releases and necro-marketing,’ in Dark Tourism Rituals and Micro-Rituals: Performance, Negotiation, and Meaning-Making. Editors: Nitasha Sharma & Daniel H. Olsen, Routledge.
Spinelli, Robert and Kelly Spencer Maust. ‘Ripper Pins and Auschwitz Selfies: Dark Souvenir Collecting and the Dark Tourism Experience,” in Dark Tourism Rituals and Micro-Rituals: Performance, Negotiation, and Meaning-Making. Editors: Nitasha Sharma & Daniel H. Olsen, Routledge.
Spinelli, Robert and Stephanie Halmhofer. (Editors). Forthcoming. ‘We Came on a Spaceship: Examining Pseudoarchaeology’s Place In and Out of this World,’ BAR Publishing: Oxford, United Kingdom.
Spinelli, Robert and Kaylee Alexander. (Editors). Forthcoming. ‘Libraries, Archives, and Collective Grief,’ Bristol University Press: United Kingdom.
Spinelli, Robert and Robyn S. Lacy. (Editors). ‘Death, Commemoration, & Cultural Meaning: Past and Present,’ Berghahn Books: New York, 2025.
Spinelli, Robert. (Editor). ‘The Lizard People Don’t Want You to Read This: Essays on Conspiracy Theory in Popular Culture,’ McFarland Books: New York, 2025.
Pridgen, Angel, Spinelli, Robert, McCroskey, Demetria, Robertson, Tashia & Terrence Chandler-Harrison. Forthcoming. ‘We Don’t Always Practice What We Preach: Exploring Religious Nationalism’ in DEIA in Faith-based Higher Education Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums. Editors: V. Dozier and Martha A. Adkins, Litwin Books.
Spinelli, Robert & Stacey Graham. (Creators). Digital Archive. The African American Material Culture of Death in Middle Tennessee.
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PUBLIC SCHOLARSHIP
Tipsy Teachings, It’s A Conspiracy! An Exploration of how Conspiracy Theories Pervade Pop Culture, Nashville TN, September 2025.
Profs & Pints, It’s A Conspiracy! An Exploration of how Conspiracy Theories Pervade Pop Culture, Nashville TN, June 2025.
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CONFERENCE TALKS
Center for Death & Society: Death & Power, Hail the Victorious Dead: Elements of Power in Memorialization, Online roundtable, June 2026.
International 19th Century Studies Association, Shelf Life: Libraries, Archives & Collective Grief, with Kaylee Alexander, Online panel, July 2026.
Critical Approaches to Libraries Conference, Shelf Life: Libraries, Archives & Collective Grief, with Kaylee Alexander, Online discussion, May 2026.
ID:EALS Speaker Series, Purdue University, Conspiracy Theories and the Information Society, with Matthew Hannah, Online discussion, May 2026.
Popular Culture Association Conference, Mythical Unboxing: Multimedia Depictions of the Dark Collector in Popular Culture, with Kelly Spencer Maust, In person panel discussion, April 2026.
Popular Culture Association Conference, Shelf Life: Libraries, Archives & Collective Grief, with Kaylee Alexander, In person panel discussion, April 2025.
Bridges and Borders 2025: The Archive, Carnegie Mellon University, Shelf Life: Libraries, Archives & Collective Grief, Online Presentation, April 2025.
South Atlantic Modern Language Association Conference, The Conspiratorial Outsider: Identity Formation in times of Historical Turbulence, Panel Conversation In-Person, November 2024.
Northeast Popular Culture Association Conference, Popular Conspiracy: American Myths & Misinformation, Online Panel Presentation, October 2024.
Summer Virtual Symposium Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association Conference, Popular Conspiracy: American Myths & Misinformation, Online panel discussion, August 2024.
QAnon Research Conference, Academics Anti WWG1WGA, Online Presentation, March 2023.
Northeast Modern Language Association Conference, Pop Goes the Conspiracist: How to Play Disinfo Wack a Troll, Online Presentation, March 2023.
From the Black Death to COVID-19: Airborne Diseases in History, Literature, and Culture Conference: From Miasma to MMR: A Brief History of Pandemic Call and Response, Online Presentation, November 2022.
Redesigning Deathcare Conference: Poster on The African American Material Culture of Death, Online Presentation, October 2022.
Death and Culture IV Conference, The African American Material Culture of Death, with Stacey Graham, Online Presentation, September 2022.
Southwest Popular/American Culture Conference, Gnosticism and Conspirituality, In-Person Presentation, February 2022.
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Library Juice Academy, Digital Curation Certificate Courses, Spring 2026
California Rare Book School course on Digital Humanities for the History of the Book August 2021
The Connection Online Conference April 2021
Library Instruction Tennessee Conference June 2019
The Library Collective 2019: Presented discussion session titled “Schools? Where we’re going, we don’t need schools.”
Tenn-Share Fall Conference 2018
The Library Collective 2018: Volunteer service as Dine Around Coordinator and Tinker Lab participant. 3D printed logoed keychains for the event.
The Library Collective 2017
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PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
- Association of College and Research Libraries
- Association for the Study of Death and Society
- The Library Collective
- National Coalition of Independent Scholars
- Popular Culture Association
- American Studies Association
- American Library Association
- The Order of the Good Death
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SERVICE
The Library Collective- Programmatic, Advisory, and Advocacy Counsel, 2022-Present
Robert Spinelli 