By Jeff Murphy,
December 8, 2020
WARRENSBURG, MO – Providing leadership for an important University of Central Missouri
resource, Janette Klein has been named University Librarian. Her appointment overseeing
the operations of James C. Kirkpatrick Library (JCKL) became effective Dec. 1, following her interim service at this post since
February 2020.
In announcing Klein’s new role, Phil Bridgmon, Ph.D., UCM provost and vice president
for academic affairs, noted, “We are pleased Janette has agreed to accept the appointment
as our next University Librarian. During her interim leadership appointment that began
earlier this year, she has gained the trust and confidence of our campus community.
Under her guidance, our colleagues in JCKL ensured our library remained open and available
for our students, faculty, and community patrons throughout the current pandemic.”
He added, “I also appreciate Janette's vision and plans for further development of
our library programs and services. We look forward to expanding JCKL's central role
as the heart of our campus and academic mission.”
Klein has served the university since July 2017. She came to UCM as a Faculty Librarian
at JCKL, in July 2018 was named Collection Management Coordinator, and shortly thereafter
also assumed the role and responsibilities of Acquisitions Librarian. Her professional
career also includes teaching experience at UCM and at the University of North Texas,
Denton, and approximately 12 years management and auditing experience in the hospitality
industry.
“I am excited to increase the visibility of the James C. Kirkpatrick Library through
continued innovation and expansion of library resources to support student learning,
teaching, and research initiatives,” Klein said. “Academic libraries offer tremendous
value to their campus communities through scholarly communication and information
literacy. I have had a rich variation of professional experiences and I feel fortunate
that my skills and abilities have brought me here to UCM. I am committed to promoting
equitable access to information resources and to creating an inclusive and dynamic
culture as we work together with the UCM community to serve UCM’s students, faculty,
and staff.”
Klein is currently working on the completion of a Ph.D. in Information Science at
the University of North Texas, Denton, where she served for three years, beginning
in 2014, as a graduate research assistant and library liaison. She earned a Master
of Science in Library Science at the University of North Texas, Denton; Bachelor of
Arts in History at Missouri Southern State University, Joplin, Missouri; and Associate
of Science as a Paralegal at Inver Hills Community College, Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota.
She also has a Graduate Academic Certificate in Advanced Management in Libraries and
Information Agencies and a Graduate Certificate in Digital Content Management from
the University of North Texas, Denton.
An information hub at UCM, JCKL is a place that accommodates student research and study needs, offering hundreds
of thousands of books, millions of scholarly articles, research guides, technology
resources, expert librarians to assist with student needs, study rooms, online resources,
and more.