From the crowded bookshelves of Indiana University to the digital archives of Humboldt University, Michele Reilly has learned a lot from university libraries over the years – both as a student and as a librarian.
Regardless of whatever city she called home, Reilly has always found invaluable educational tools and knowledge from university libraries – essential resources that she hopes to make more accessible and beneficial to students if chosen as WSU’s new dean of university libraries.
“(Libraries) teach students things that they don’t get anywhere else – critical thinking, information knowledge and access,” Reilly said. “They provide our students and our faculty and our staff with things they need to move forward in their life, in their careers, and in their academics.”
The University of Arkansas professor and associate dean of libraries is one of three candidates meeting with university stakeholders and library admins this week for the dean of university libraries position.
Formerly held by Kathy Downes, who retired last spring, the dean of university libraries is responsible for overseeing Ablah Library, the McKinley Chemistry Library and the Thurlow Lieurance Memorial Music Library.
The Washington native has held a variety of positions, from bookkeeping to office management, before returning to school in 2005 to pursue a career in library science. During that time, Reilly discovered what she calls her ‘four C’s’ – critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity – to create compassion.
“If we have all of this … we’re going to have compassion for our students and our faculty, and I think that it’s really important to a library,” Reilly said. “It makes us compassionate to people who walk in the door or who come to our website.”
Since completing her doctorate in library science, Reilly has been instrumental in implementing new library programs and initiatives. At the University of Arkansas, Reilly incorporated inclusive spaces – what she coined as “family- friendly spaces” – to create a better studying environment for students with children.
“We found that more and more students were bringing their children into the library, but our library wasn’t set up for that,” Reilly said.
Reilly said the library created spaces for the parents and children.
“That kind of experience welcomed even more students into our library because they knew they could get a book off the shelf,” she said. “They knew they could come to the library and their child could play … and their children were safe.”
If selected, Reilly hopes to create other spaces, such as sensory gardens for neurodivergent people, updated wayfinding for English as a second language learners, and music therapy sessions to diversify and increase accessibility to library services.
“My theory… is that if we are welcoming, that’s great. If we create a sense of belonging, that’s even better. If we help our students build a community that they can find in the library, we have hit the trifecta because they know that when they walk in, they have friends, and they belong there,” Reilly said. “Everyone belongs in the library, no matter what.”
Along with promoting diversity and inclusion efforts, Reilly hopes to increase the access and availability of research material, increase collaboration through various partnerships, and provide the necessary technology services to stimulate student success.
Additional information about Reilly, her academic history and personal philosophies can be found in her cover letter and curriculum vitae.
Those who attended Reilly’s public forum or who are interested can fill out this survey, which closes at midnight on Aug. 9.
The next public forum for candidate Stephen Patton will be held on Aug. 9 at 3:30 p.m. in the Olive Room of the Rhatigan Student Center.
