Category Archives: Library Staff News

The Passing of Claire T. Carney

We were saddened to learn about the passing of Claire T. Carney. She was a kind and generous woman whose commitment to life long learning is memorialized in the name of the UMass Dartmouth library.

All library staff who had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Carney have had wonderful things to say about her. We are honored to work in a building named after such a remarkable woman.

Learn more about Mrs. Carney:
Oral history interview with Claire T. Carney with Dr. Fred Griffin (2006)
The Library’s webpage about Mrs. Carney taken from the Blue & Gold Gala program(October 14, 2006)

Obituary, Claire T. Carney

Nancy Godleski to be the new Dean of Library Services

We are excited to announce that Nancy M. Godleski will be the new Dean of the Claire T. Carney Library, effective August 1. We look forward to working with Dean Godleski to enhance existing library services and resources. She joins the library at an exciting time of technological changes and opportunities, positioning the library to pursue innovative ways of supporting our students, faculty, and staff!

Last week’s campus press release summarized of Dean Godleski’s professional experience: “Godleski comes to UMass Dartmouth from Vanderbilt University, where her most recent position was Associate University Librarian for Collections and Core Services. In this role, she led the strategic direction and resource management for seven library employee units and collections services for nine libraries across the university. During her tenure at Vanderbilt, Godleski oversaw access services, acquisitions and e-resources, cataloging and metadata services, preservation, remote storage, interlibrary loan, collection development and analysis, government documents, and library technology and digital services. As a member of the library’s senior leadership team, she advocated for librarian advancement and established a collections council with representatives from each campus library and library unit to build understanding and consensus. Her responsibilities within Vanderbilt also included serving as interim director of the Eskind Biomedical Library and Stevenson Science and Engineering Library.” Read the full press release at: https://www.umassd.edu/news/2023/new-dean-claire-carney-library-appointed.html

Retirement of Allison Cywin, Art Education, Art History & Media Studies Librarian

Allison Cywin Spring 2023

Allison Cywin joined UMass Dartmouth in the summer of 2004 and has served as the Director of the Visual Resource Center (VRC) in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. During her tenure, she transformed the VRC from a traditional slide library to an image and multimedia digital repository.  Her role has been to generate and manage digital assets and disseminate these resources for the purpose of classroom instruction and research campus wide.

Cywin began her career as the curator of the Newport Art Museum. Over ten-years in this position, she curated many contemporary exhibitions featuring works by well-known artists: Andy Warhol, Howard Ben Tre, Tom Patti, Stephan Brigidi, and Chris Van Allsburg, among others.  

In the early 1990’s, Cywin became the Graphics Curator at the Rhode Island Historical Society’s research library. The graphics collection represents three-centuries of iconographic materials that included photography, prints, drawings, architectural drawings, cartography, and 16mm television newsfilm collection.  Before leaving the Society to join UMass Dartmouth, she established an in-house digital lab to digitize and preserve the Society’s nineteenth-century glass plate, nitrate, and acetate negative collections.

Allison has completed numerous digital projects in her career at UMass Dartmouth, and most recently, along with Art Education, Art History & Media Studies Professor Anna Dempsey, Cywin created an interactive tour of UMass Dartmouth which focuses on the brutalist aesthetic, and the work of renowned architect Paul Marvin Rudolph. This tour is available through the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth website at https://prudolph.lib.umassd.edu,  https://www.umassd.edu/virtual-tour/architecture and www.umassbrut.org. It is approximately 45 minutes and includes thirteen video stops as well as links to arts and cultural organizations and tourist designations to encourage visitation and commerce in the region.

The UMD librarians wish Allison the best in her retirement and many adventures with her family! She has been an asset to UMass Dartmouth and CVPA.

Three Librarians Recognized for Years of Service

Three librarians were recognized at yesterday afternoon’s Chancellor’s Years of Service event. Congratulations to Kari Mofford (15 yrs), Bela Gupta (5 yrs), and Jessica Almeida (10 yrs). (Pictured below – left to right)

Kari is the Health Sciences & Engineering Librarian, and Bela is the Metadata & Cataloging Librarian. Both work at the Claire T. Carney Library. Jessica is a Public Services Librarian at the Law Library. We thank them for all their contributions to the University’s teaching, learning, and research activities!

Position Opening: Senior Administrative Assistant

We are looking for a Senior Administrative Assistant to join the Claire T. Carney Library staff. Here’s a general statement of duties and responsibilities:

“Provide direct support to the Dean and the Associate Dean in the Library, which includes management of all daily office administrative and fiscal operations. Monitor expenditures to ensure budgetary compliance for all funds overseen by the Dean; prepare, review, and analyze financial reports; prepare and review requisitions, purchase requests, payroll, contracts, etc. Oversee the daily administrative business functions and operations of the library, working in conjunction with the Chancellors’ Office, Provost’s Office, Administrative and Fiscal Services, Student Affairs, Campus Services, Facilities, etc. Coordinate complex and highly confidential administrative functions for the Dean and Associate Dean. Assist and provide guidance to Library Division Heads regarding university administrative and fiscal policies and operations.”

For more information and to apply for the position, see the full job posting at http://careers.umassd.edu/dartmouth/en-us/job/517404/senior-administrative-assistant

New Interim Dean of Library Services, Judy Farrar

We are excited to announce the appointment of Judy Farrar as the new Interim Dean of Library Services. Ms. Farrar joined the UMass Dartmouth library in 1996 as the Archives and Special Collections Librarian. As Provost Huang noted in his campus announcement, “Ms. Farrar has seen the Claire T. Carney Library Archives and Special Collections grow exponentially, from less than 100 linear feet to a collection of over 2,000 linear feet. She has been part of major initiatives like the establishment of the Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese American Archives, the addition of the papers of former Congressman Barney Frank, the acquisition of the Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey Archives, and a major facility renovation.” Ms. Farrar also has a long history of innovation and collaboration with library, campus, and community partners. We look forward to her applying her knowledge and experience in this new role!

Position Opening: Electronic Resources Librarian

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is seeking applicants for its Electronic Resources Librarian position.

The Electronic Resources Librarian is responsible for managing the life cycle of electronic resources, including license negotiation; acquisition; renewals; activation; discovery and access support; maintenance; and evaluation. The librarian in this role is part of the Library Technical Services team and ensures continued access to and support for robust, distinctive, and innovative collecting in support of academic initiatives and university programs. The Electronic Resources Librarian effectively engages with colleagues across the Library, the University and externally with consortia and vendors.

The Claire T. Carney Library is the centerpiece of the concentric campus plan of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. UMass Dartmouth is the only research university located on the beautiful South Coast of Massachusetts. Its library plays a fundamental role in enhancing the learning experience of students by providing services and space for research, study, and social activities.

The historic town of Dartmouth along New England’s Farm Coast is one of the largest towns by land area on the banks of the Buzzards Bay. New England has historic architecture, small towns, large cities, bustling metropolitan areas, and great seafood. The cities of Providence, Boston, and New York are within driving distance.

How to apply:

For more information about this position, including minimum starting salary; qualifications; and information about how to apply, please navigate to our website at UMass Dartmouth Careers.

All interested applicants should submit a letter of interest, current resume, and the contact information for at least three professional references.

Position Opening: Web Services Librarian

We are looking for a service-oriented librarian with web design experience to develop and enhance our library user interfaces. This includes the library’s website and blog as well as LibGuides. The Web Services Librarian will be part of a collaborative team and will participate in a variety of new library initiatives. This librarian will lead the library’s usability efforts and will adapt new and existing web tools to improve the library’s online platforms and interfaces.  This position offers the potential for a librarian to grow and develop in the areas of web development and library systems.

Read the full job posting and apply at http://careers.umassd.edu/dartmouth/en-us/job/511306/assistantassociate-librarian-web-services

Position Opening: Social Sciences and Data Services Librarian

UMass Dartmouth welcomes applications for the position of Information Services Librarian for the Social Sciences and Data Services. This librarian will deliver reference and instruction services in conjunction with a team of Information Services librarians, consult with and inform researchers in all departments of the university on practices and opportunities for data management, and develop professional relationships with faculty and students in multiple College of Arts and Sciences departments to assess and respond to research, teaching, and learning needs. Information Services librarians also participate in information literacy instruction for first-year English classes. General responsibilities include participation in assessment of services, collection development, instruction and related activities, as well as other division, library, university, and professional activities, projects, and organizations, as appropriate.  Minimum starting salaries: Assistant Librarian $55,330/Associate Librarian $64,796. The review of applications will begin June 11, 2018 and continue until the position is filled.

For full details of the position, please view our ad here: https://careers.umassd.edu/dartmouth/en-us/job/494119/assistantassociate-librarian-social-sciences-and-data-services

The Claire T. Carney Library is located on the campus of UMass Dartmouth, the only research university located on the SouthCoast of Massachusetts. The region has many options for city, town, and country living, as well as easy access to art, music, and cultural institutions in cities such as Providence, Boston, and New York. New England is home to amazing outdoor recreation, from hiking to skiing to enjoying the beaches on nearby Cape Cod. Recently the subject of an award-winning renovation, the library is the campus hub, providing space for research and study and serving as a social gathering place. Our library staff are active in our campus community, participating in events, committees, and faculty governance. The Information Services team is made up of reference and instruction liaison librarians. We work independently within our disciplines, and collaboratively in initiatives such as our first year English embedded instruction program. We value collegiality and enthusiasm, and are committed to making a positive impact in our students’ lives.