Dean's welcome
The Libraries faculty and staff are a curious, engaged group committed to finding the best ways to support students, faculty, and our community. We thrive on experimentation, creativity, and collaboration. This past year was no exception. While we continued our essential work of building collections, supporting research, and teaching information literacy, we went from being passive observers of the changes that generative AI was bringing to our information landscape and became critical observers and adopters, carefully evaluating when and how AI is appropriate and ethical in the context of academic libraries.
Several Libraries’ faculty and staff joined our initial "Try AI" group to experiment with tools like ChatGPT and Claude, exploring how they might fit into our work. This experimentation evolved into two focused initiatives: Apply AI and Teaching and Learning with AI. The Apply AI Group developed guidelines for using AI securely, ethically, and effectively, establishing a core principle: AI may change job responsibilities and expectations but should not replace human oversight of those responsibilities. The Teaching and Learning with AI Group created guidelines for discussing AI in the context of our work with students and faculty. They crafted the following principle: “Prioritize human values. Use AI tools in a way that is consistent with enhancing and supporting your own and others’ agency, creativity, connection, and critical thinking. AI tools may be used to augment these qualities but should not be used to supplant them.” These guidelines help us support faculty and students in using AI thoughtfully while maintaining academic integrity and critical thinking.
Whether mentoring the next generation of scholars, pioneering new approaches to serve our communities, or preserving cultural heritage through documentary storytelling, our faculty and staff demonstrate that technology and innovation must always be grounded in human values.
In this report, we honor those who came before and provided support, those who received recognitions and awards for their service, and the stories that demonstrate our impact.
- Former College of Arts and Sciences Dean and long-time library supporter Dr. Ann Ronald was the Libraries’ Alumna of the Year. Through her writing, teaching, and mentorship, Ann profoundly influenced the literary landscape of Nevada and the broader West, inspiring generations of writers to see beauty where others saw none.
- With deep gratitude, we remember Joan Zenan, who passed away in February 2025. As founding director of the Savitt Library, Joan was a tireless advocate for the medical library and the University Libraries. Under her leadership, the medical library met the specific resource needs not only of the School of Medicine, but also as the National Library of Medicine’s designated Resource Library for the state of Nevada. Her vision, leadership, and advocacy shaped the medical library as well as our entire university community.
- Molly Mott, Circulation Systems Coordinator, was recognized as the Distinguished Classified Employee of the Year. Three of our academic faculty received the President’s Faculty of the Month Service Awards: Elena Azadbakht, Teresa Schultz, and Emily Boss.
- The @One Digital Media and Technology Center completed and distributed a documentary. An original @One production, the documentary explores the art of Native American basketry – its history, living practice, and future – through the voices of contemporary weavers, museum curators, and Indigenous artists.
We are grateful for your partnership and interest in the Libraries and invite you to learn more about our wide-ranging activities and impact.
My best,
Catherine Cardwell
Dean, Libraries
