New Associate Head, Access Services

The NCSU Libraries announces the appointment of Colleen S. Harris to the position of Associate Head, Access Services, effective January 5, 2009.

As Associate Head, Harris will share responsibility for managing Access Services, a department that is committed to providing next-generation access services to bring needed information to the user, any time, any place. She will provide front-line management and support of circulation and collection maintenance services, as well as supervision and development of staff. In collaboration with other library departments, she will work to customize and extend the integrated library system.

Harris brings a rich background in academic library public services to the NCSU Libraries. She began her library career as Night Supervisor for Access Services at the University of Kentucky Libraries with responsibility for reference and circulation access points, supervision of library and security staff, and building oversight and management. Most recently she held the position of Assistant Professor, Reference and Instruction Librarian at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. In that position, she led subject-specific library instruction for freshman and advanced courses, provided reference desk service, conducted library workshops, and developed web content for instructional services. Her responsibilities included collection development and outreach for political science and economics.

Harris has written and presented on a variety of topics relevant to academic librarianship and has several noteworthy forthcoming publications. Anticipated in 2009 are chapters entitled “The Haves and the Have-Nots: Class, Race, Gender, Access to Computers and Academic Success” in The Myths, Realities, and Practicalities of
Working with Gen M: A Handbook for Educators and Librarians, “MLS, MFA: The Librarian Pursuing Creative Writing,” and “The Poet-Librarian: Writing and Submitting Work” in Published Librarian: Successful Professional and Personal Writing. She is a member of several committees of the American Library Association’s Reference and User Services Association. Her university service includes appointments to the Faculty Senate and to the Academic Standards Committee at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Harris holds the Master of Science in Library and Information Studies from the University of Kentucky and Bachelors of Arts in International Relations and Economics from Centre College. She is also working towards a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at Spalding University.