Welcome to the James E. Walker Library at Middle Tennessee State University. I am excited to be celebrating my first full year at MTSU serving as the Dean of the Walker Library. The library faculty and staff are committed to providing outstanding services and support to the MTSU community. Over the course of the last year, I have had the privilege to learn about my new institution and the importance of the library in advancing its academic endeavors.
Library liaisons, assigned to academic programs, are available to assist with instruction, research consultations, and complex reference questions. We offer an excellent pull-and-hold service for those needing to access print collection materials quickly. Special Collections is developing the Distilling, Fermenting, and Brewing Collection in support of the fermentation science program and we are excited to see how it grows over the coming year. Digital Scholarship Initiatives continues to publish and host peer-reviewed journals and is beginning to explore the possibilities of book publishing. The Makerspace is a highly innovative and technology-focused program that supports students and faculty across disciplines. We shifted our collection from Dewey Decimal Classification to Library of Congress Classification this past spring. Much is happening across the library and I invite you to take a longer look at what we have to offer on the library’s website.
The Walker Library is deep into a strategic planning process and I expect to share more on what our vision will be for the library over the next several years later this summer. As a result of extensive student feedback so far, we are already finding ways to improve our services including extra hours on Friday and Saturday during the academic semester. It is exciting to see all of the students back on campus and I look forward to the coming spring semester.
Kathleen L. Schmand, MLS, MOL
Dean, James E. Walker Library
