Annie Downey will serve as the director of Collins Memorial Library
University of Puget Sound has named a new university librarian and director of the Collins Memorial Library. Annie Downey will assume the role starting July 2024. Working closely with Puget Sound’s library staff, faculty, students, and leaders across campus, Downey will lead the development of a cohesive and inclusive vision for the library as a central place on campus, fostering vibrant intellectual exchange, building community, and promoting student success.
“I’m incredibly excited to be joining Collins Memorial Library,” says Downey. “The library is such an important part of a residential liberal arts campus. I love working in academic libraries because I love working with students, and in the library we really have the opportunity to get to know students and be with them through the entirety of their academic career.”
Downey currently serves as associate dean of university libraries at the University of Washington Tacoma. Previously, she has worked at libraries at University of Redlands, Reed College, and the University of North Texas, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology, a master’s degree in library and information science, and a Ph.D. in higher education administration.
The author of three books, Downey has written and presented on service design, information literacy, women in libraries, and other topics. In 2017, she was awarded the first Future of Libraries Fellowship from the ALA Center for the Future of Libraries, and in 2018, Library Journal named her a Mover and Shaker for her work creating flexible, user-centered library services. She’s excited to return to a liberal arts setting and remain in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Downey will start in her new role at Puget Sound on July 1.
“My vision is to find ways to connect the library more strongly with the campus community and with the broader community,” says Downey. “Whether you’re a student needing help with a class or you’re a faculty member developing your curriculum, the library is here for you. Our team will be focused on building connections and relationships so that the library is the heart of campus.”
With a forward-looking president, a dedicated senior leadership team, passionate students, and exceptional faculty and staff, Puget Sound is on track to realize the goals laid out in its 10-year strategic plan, Leadership for a Changing World, which challenges the university to advance institutional excellence, academic distinction, and student success, including distinctive services like Collins Memorial Library that aim to position University of Puget Sound as one of the foremost liberal arts and sciences institutions in the nation.
