When Marianne Williams first set foot in the Dickson Street Bookstore, she knew Fayetteville was her kind of place. Originally from Canada, Williams was appointed Librarian-in-Residence for University Libraries July 10.
“I bought so many books, I actually had to buy another suitcase just to bring them all home,” said Williams.
The purpose of the Librarian-in-Residence program is to increase the diversity of professional staff at the University Libraries and to encourage the involvement of underrepresented groups in academic librarianship.
As Librarian-in-Residence, Williams will work with the Multicultural Center on campus, as well as community organizations, to promote diversity and inclusion.
“A big personal interest of mine has been Indigenous activism and LGBTQ-plus activism, and incorporating that inclusion into the Libraries,” she said.
One of her goals is to publish and do research on visual and information literacy.
“I’d like to work with primary sources, like Special Collections or archival material, and figure out creative and innovative ways of making those collections more accessible and more interesting to students, researchers and the campus community,” said Williams.
Williams thinks of herself as a “librarian and cultural consultant,” having worked on various cultural research projects in many different capacities, from curatorial responsibilities to grant writing. In her spare time, she is an avid gardener (though “not a very good one”), enjoys live music, and fosters rabbits from problem homes.
“We are delighted to bring Marianne on board and see how she takes this position and makes it her own,” said Carolyn Henderson Allen, dean of Libraries.
Williams’ appointment will last 12 months and is renewable for up to three years.