Academic Services and Collections

As an Associate University Librarian, Lou provides leadership and vision for the library programs related to academic services and collections. The programs are:

• The Teaching, Research and User Services Program, which includes core research & consultation services, teaching & instructional services, circulation and frontline desk services throughout the library system, reserves, interlibrary loan lending, annex services, stacks maintenance and document delivery,
  
• The Collection Strategy and Subject Services Program, which selects collection content to support teaching and research, oversees collections, and provides advanced consultation & teaching services in the STEM, Business, Area Studies, Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities disciplines.
• The Specialized Collection Services Program, which provides specialized services across academic disciplines, the units in this program include, Rare Books and Special Collections, the University Archives, and Preservation, Conservation and Digital Production.

Selected Responsibilities:

• Play a leading role in library-wide strategic planning, resource management and assessment to develop and convey a clear and compelling vision working closely with the University Librarian and the Associate University Librarian for Digital Access Resources and Information Technology
• Closely align goals, organizational groups, resources and values with those of the University
• Energize the organization through emphasis on collaboration, flexibility, empowerment, on-going learning, service excellence, a commitment to teamwork and open communication
• Develop, maintain and inspire a strategically focused and highly knowledgeable workforce
• Coach and empower program directors and team leaders to excel both directly and through effective delegation, management and communication
• Build and strengthen campus relationships, identifying opportunities to assist in the academic mission of the university by providing knowledge resources and expertise to enhance teaching and research for both students and faculty and to productively collaborate throughout the university and the academy in support of our mission.

Lou is a librarian and a scholar with a doctorate in Medieval Studies. His focus is on integrating library services and collections into the teaching and research missions of the university.He is an elected member of the Comité international de paléographie latine and a fellow of the American Numismatic Society.

Tracy Bergstrom is the director of the Specialized Collection Services Program within the Hesburgh Libraries of Notre Dame. As such, she oversees Rare Books and Special Collections, University Archives, Preservation, and Digital Production. She is also the curator of the Zahm Dante and early Italian imprints collection at Notre Dame and is especially interested in the print history of Dante’s Divine Comedy. Tracy is a graduate of Smith College and Yale University and holds a bachelor’s degree in Italian Studies and Art History, a Master of Arts degree in Archaeological Studies, and a Master of Library Science degree.

The Head of Interlibrary Loan and Acquisitions Services (ILLAS) manages support of resource acquisitions, regardless of format, for all purchased, leased, and borrowed library resources. The Head directs existing services for electronic and print resource acquisitions, resource licensing, interlibrary loan borrowing, resource payment, and collection assessment.

As Director of Metadata Services, Laura's work focuses on moving the Libraries’ metadata agenda forward through cross-programmatic collaboration to ensure consistency and quality of metadata related to Libraries' collections and Notre Dame scholarship. This work is carried out through a variety of services related to metadata creation, enrichment, remediation and transformation. Program staff is committed to adherence to industry standards. The Program directly supports the processing of general and specialized collection analog and digital resources and vended electronic resources in support of University teaching, learning and research.

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Laura holds a bachelor's degree in French and master's degree in Library and Information Studies.

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M.L.S., Indiana University; B.A., Earlham College.

Cheri Smith is the Psychology Librarian and Program Director for the Teaching, Research and User Services Program. As Program Director she oversees the functions of the Hesburgh Libraries Teaching, Research and User Engagement Unit and the User Services Unit Her interests include information literacy, library reference services, and open access publishing.

Publications