USU Libraries Associate Dean Liz Woolcott Delivers Inaugural Address

LOGAN, Utah — Associate Dean and Department Head overseeing research collections Liz Woolcott delivered her inaugural address as full librarian to friends, family and colleagues on Oct. 26.

Woolcott received her Master of Arts in history from Utah State University in 2003 and began working as a graduate intern for University Libraries Special Collections & Archives. While serving in that capacity, Woolcott discovered a talent and passion for metadata and cataloging. She returned to school and earned her Master’s in Library and Information Science from University of North Texas in 2009 and was hired at faculty level as metadata and digital discovery librarian in 2013.

“Librarianship is one of the most fascinating career choices you can make, particularly right now, in the era of information explosion and rapid technological evolutions,” Woolcott said. “Few other professions sit so well positioned at the intersection of disciplines and fields of information.”

Woolcott served as the head of cataloging and metadata services in 2015 and held that role until she was promoted to associate dean earlier this year.

“It’s such an honor to be part of this field,” Woolcott said. “Librarianship is incredibly collaborative. This field has met hundreds of years of evolving information needs and almost always through developing collaborative efforts to gather, describe and provide access to resources.”

Though Woolcott enjoys the collaboration, her favorite part of being a librarian is finding creative solutions to challenges in providing information needs at an academic institution.

“Most people don’t see the intricate web of connections that libraries make in order to provide key services like cataloging, interlibrary loan, open access, digitized historical content, or even collective negotiation to help control rapid price increases for subscription material like journals,” Woolcott said. “Libraries have achieved all of this by networking together — beyond our institutional borders.”

Woolcott has worked on a number of impressive projects, including 61 publications. While Woolcott excels at and enjoys her profession, she enjoys her family time and travelling above all else.

“My husband, John, and children, Thomas, Mary Alice, and Henry, are my absolute delight. Whether it is game night, movie night, or travelling, we have a great time together,” Woolcott said. “We have travelled to 48 out of the 50 states together and plan to catch the last two this coming summer.”