In 1991 Penny received a Master’s in Library Science from the University of Kentucky and from 1992-1994 served as a reference librarian at Miami University in Oxford, OH.  In 1994 she joined the Reference Department at Louisiana State University Libraries and shortly thereafter became Head of the Education Resources department and Coordinator of Social Sciences Collection Development.  Penny moved to Florida in 1998 to take a position at the University of Central Florida, where she received a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction.  Her dissertation work involved developing an information literacy test for education students.  The Beile Test of Information Literacy for Education (B-TILED) is available here, with correct answers bolded; the full dissertation describes development and validation procedures and is in pdf on the Scholarship page. 

She is co-author, with David Boote, of the article “Scholars before Researchers: On the Centrality of the Dissertation Literature Review in Research Preparation,” which appeared in Educational Researcher in 2005.  This highly debated article has consistently been in the top ten most downloaded ER publications and is required reading in courses taught around the world.  Penny's publications and presentations generally focus on some aspect of information literacy and its assessment.  She is a member of the ETS National Advisory Council for the IC3 (iSkills) assessment and has worked with ETS and Project SAILS on information literacy assessment studies.  Penny is also a member of the UCF Information Fluency Quality Enhancement Plan Assessment Committee and has served as a consultant for other college and university information literacy initiatives.  She is active in the American Library Association/Association of College and Research Libraries division and is currently past-chair of the Education and Behavioral Sciences Section (section chair 2007-2008). 

Penny lives in Christmas, FL, on a small ranch with her husband, Thomas O'Neil, and an assortment of animals (horse, dogs, peafowl, geese, ducks, and whatever creature is passing through at the moment).  When not at work, she enjoys traveling, hiking, rock climbing, cooking and spending time with her family and friends.  Prior to her life in libraries she played professional pool (highlights include winning the 1987 ACUI National Women’s Billiards tournament and being ranked as one of the top ten U.S. women players), worked with yearling Thoroughbreds in Kentucky, and spent two decades in the hospitality industry.  Two events that occurred in 2008 (turning 50 and being granted professional leave) provided time for international travel and for some much needed introspection.  She is ready for the next step.