Catherine Cardwell will begin her new appointment as dean of the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library on July 1. Cardwell will assume the position from Deborah Henry, who has worked at the library since 1988 and served as its interim dean for nearly a year.
On July 1, Catherine Cardwell will begin her appointment as dean of the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library. After 20 years of working as a librarian, she emphasizes student engagement and community connections.
“I am pleased to announce that Catherine will join the USFSP community as part of our leadership team,” said Regional Chancellor Sophia Wisniewska. “Her extensive resume and leadership experience in both library and administrative areas will serve our students well.”
Cardwell has worked as a librarian in Ohio for over 20 years and said the close-knit feel and diversity of USFSP reminds her of Youngstown State University, where she earned her bachelor’s degrees in English and French.
Though she has worked at a variety of positions and institutions, she didn’t always want to be a librarian.
“When I started off as a freshman at Youngstown State, I was in engineering,” said Cardwell. “I (started) thinking that it wasn’t what I thought it was and it doesn’t really interest me. I really loved English and learning languages, so I became an English and French major.”
She went on to earn a master’s degree in French language and literature from the University of Pittsburgh, and a master’s in library science from Kent State University.
Bringing a unique perspective to the university, Cardwell believes a library should focus on helping its attendants get the most they can from it. This idea allowed her to stand out among the other candidates.
“I was really, really interested in how (USFSP) was moving forward,” said Cardwell. “The clear vision for its future, the connection to community, the major emphasis on student success and student engagement, and creating a wonderful experience for students.”
Dr. Olivia Hodges, chair of the USFSP search committee, said in a university press release, “Catherine is a visionary who is highly innovative in her approach to teaching and learning. When you look at our strategic plan, she has the capacity to align her efforts to its goals and will enable the library to move to the next level. I believe she is a perfect fit.”
The new dean’s responsibilities at Nelson Poynter Library will include overseeing operations, working with university leadership, connecting with the community, while ensuring the needs of student and faculty are met.
“One of the things that has always interested me about library science is teaching, learning and bringing resources into the lives of people,” Cardwell said. “One of the things that people think of the library is almost as (a place) ‘where the books live,’ but libraries are so much more than that.”
Cardwell said she plans to digitize and archive The Weekly Challenger as one of her first big projects.
The local African-American family owned newspaper has been in print since 1967, and will be added to the library’s historical collection.
