LOGAN – After serving for over a year as interim dean, Utah State University has named Jennifer Duncan the school’s Dean of Libraries. She served previously as head of USU’s Special Collections and Archives.
She says she believes librarianship should be proactive.
“I love to see our staff getting out into the academic departments,” Duncan explains, “meeting with people across campus, whether that’s with information, literacy initiatives, looking at how we can support people with their research projects, doing exhibits, working with community members to bring collections into our repository.
“We can’t just wait for people to come to us, we really need to be proactive.”
She says USU’s Merrill-Cazier Library is 17 years old, but doesn’t look it.
“We have a beautiful building so I do hope people can come and visit us, the community as well can come into our building any time,” says Duncan. “It’s about a 300,000-square foot facility.
“It is comprised of new construction that opened in 2005 attached to a 1993 building. But you really can’t tell that from being on the inside, it’s really one of the best re-models I’ve ever seen.”
The library has an automated retrieval system, with room for over a million volumes, and books can be ready to check out in minutes.
Duncan says the USU Library makes services available to the public.
“Yes, we do have a community card and it’s only $25. Folks are welcome to visit our circulation desk, they will be assigned an A number and we’ll get them a borrowers card.”