Remembering Joan Zenan

Longtime librarian, founding director of Savitt Medical Library, University Libraries friend and advocate

Longtime librarian, founding director of the Savitt Medical Library, University Libraries supporter and Friend of the Libraries Joan Zenan passed away in February 2025. Her career at the University spanned 28 years. The impact Joan made can be felt across campus and beyond. She was a highly engaged member of the community, leaving behind a deep and meaningful legacy demonstrated in how she showed up and worked tirelessly to serve the University and its students, faculty, staff and community.

Newspaper clipping featuring a portrait of a young Joan Zenan. The text reads: “Nevada State Journal, Tuesday, Aug. 15, 1977. Medical Librarian. Joan Zenan has been appointed medical librarian at the University of Nevada-Reno, effective July 1. Mrs. Zenan was formerly life and health sciences librarian. Her new responsibilities will be geared toward developing the medical library for the recently approved four-year School of Medical Sciences. Mrs. Zenan officially remains a member of the UNR library faculty, but will now also act as a member of the medical school faculty, participating fully in the academic concerns of that school. Mrs. Zenan has worked at the UCLA biomedical library and at the Welsh Medical Library at Johns Hopkins University. She came to UNR from the University of Alaska in Anchorage, where she started a research institute library. Mrs. Zenan is also serving on the 1979 Conference Program Committee of the Medical Library Association. — News clip from the Nevada State Journal announcing Joan Zenan as Medical Librarian

In 1976 Joan moved to Reno, Nevada, accepting the Life and Health Sciences librarian position with the University.

Shortly after arriving and serving in this role, she was appointed medical librarian, effective July 1, 1977. As the founding director of the Savitt Medical Library, Joan was responsible for developing the medical library for the recently approved four-year School of Medical Sciences. She participated fully in the academic development of the school. Joan devoted 26 years of her career to building this library.

Joan was a tireless advocate for the medical library and the University Libraries. Under her guidance, 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.

In 2011 Joan reflected and shared some of her fondest memories of her time on campus. She said, “I am very proud of opening the first library for the medical school, overseeing its two expansions, and later opening the new Savitt Medical Library in the Pennington Medical Education Building. Very few medical libraries get the opportunity to open one – not to mention two – libraries. Those experiences made for an exciting and fulfilling career.”

While Joan was working in her library-related role, she was also heavily involved in faculty governance. During her time on campus she served on many campus-wide and School of Medicine committees, including Faculty Senate in 1984-85.

Joan retired from the University in 2004. In 2008 she was honored with the Dean’s Distinguished Service Award from the School of Medicine. She was named Honor Court Silver Benefactor in 2010.

After retirement, Joan remained active and involved with campus. She was a generous donor who committed nearly $3 million to the University.