People in the News

David Free

Katie Hannah has been appointed the next director of the University of Tennessee (UT) Press starting April 1, 2024. Hannah brings more than 20 years of publishing industry experience to the role. As UT Press director, she will be responsible for developing and executing strategic, programmatic, and financial plans that ensure the continued success of the organization. The UT Press is a division of the UT Libraries.

Athena N. Jackson has been named the University of California-Los Angeles’ (UCLA) Norman and Armena Powell University Librarian beginning March 1, 2024. Jackson, the former director of special collections at UCLA Library, has served since 2021 as dean of libraries at the University of Houston, where she holds the Elizabeth D. Rockwell Chair. Over her career, Jackson has led major efforts to increase and promote access to library resources through modern channels, support inclusive practices, and provide transformative learning opportunities for those in academic communities. At the University of Houston, Jackson was responsible for oversight of the library’s administrative activities, a team of more than 125 and an annual budget of $21 million, providing programmatic and strategic leadership while playing a critical role in development activities. She was also active in open-scholarship dialogues at state and national levels, drawing on her rich background in rare and archival collections.

Mariecris Gatlabayan has been appointed digital preservation librarian at the University of Washington Libraries.

Maggie Mahoney is now business research and instruction librarian at the University of Washington Libraries.

Retirements

Loretta Parham, chief executive officer and director of the Robert W. Woodruff Library of the Atlanta University Center Inc. (AUC), will retire in June 2024 after 19 years of outstanding leadership of the library. Parham was appointed at a moment in the history of the library when many AUC students and faculty used other local college and university libraries that had more comprehensive offerings and services. Under her direction, the AUC Woodruff Library has become a “first and best” choice for the more than 9,000 scholars in the AUC, the nation’s largest consortium of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, which includes Morehouse College, Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University, and the Interdenominational Theological Center. Under her leadership, the library received the 2016 ACRL Excellence in Academic Libraries Award in the university category. Parham also received the 2017 ACRL Academic/Research Librarian of the Year award and served on the association’s Board of Directors as director-at-large from 2011–2015.

Before joining the AUC Woodruff Library, Parham led the Hampton University Library, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, and a district of 24 branches of the Chicago Public Library. She is the daughter of the late Amanda S. Rudd, the first female and African American commissioner of the Chicago Public Library. Parham received her master’s degree from the University of Michigan and her bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University.