EAST LANSING, Mich., July 2025 – The Michigan State University Libraries has recently appointed two new associate deans within the Collections & Technical Services and Teaching & Learning divisions. Both appointments resulted from national searches for the roles.Melanie McGurr, Associate Dean for Collections & Technical ServicesIn December 2024, Melanie McGurr was appointed Associate Dean of Collections & Technical Services at MSU Libraries. This division is new within the MSU Libraries’ internal organization, and, as head of the division, McGurr oversees collections strategies and infrastructure, including access and discovery of the Libraries’ collections. McGurr previously served as Associate Dean for Technical Services at University of Akron University Libraries, where she was also a Professor of Bibliography and served on the libraries’ leadership team. Prior to Akron, McGurr held librarian roles at Northeast Ohio Medical University, Ohio State University and Urbana University. She holds a Master of Library and Information Science and a doctoral degree in English Literature from Kent State University, as well as a master’s in English Literature from Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. She also served on the OhioLINKTraining and Documentation Committee, helping to oversee the migration of the statewide library consortium to a new integrated library management system.McGurr shared enthusiasm about acclimating to her new role at MSU Libraries and priorities moving forward. “I am happy to be settling in, getting to know the amazing people in the division and the Libraries, and acting on the plans we have been making for the future,” she said. “It is a top priority for me to really understand the people, the workflows and the pressure points in Collections & Technical Services so that we can move together as a division to solve problems and tackle issues. I have been so impressed with the people in the division and the work that they do. I’m especially impressed that so many people are willing to problem-solve together and try out new workflows to move Collections & Technical Services forward.” Rachel Minkin was appointed to the role of Associate Dean for Teaching & Learning, effective July 1. As head of this division, Minkin has oversight of MSU Libraries’ Reference and Discovery Services, Open Educational Resources, Information Literacy and subject liaison librarians. In addition to serving two years as Interim Associate Dean of the Libraries’ Teaching & Learning division, Minkin has been a member of the Libraries’ faculty since 2011, including roles as Information Literacy Librarian, Head of Reference Services and Assistant Dean for Faculty Engagement. Minkin was a founding member, co-chair and first elected president of the Michigan Academic Library Association and has held several key appointments within the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), including her current service as a member of the ACRL Board. Minkin’s previous library experiences include positions at Lansing Community College and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. She holds a Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh, a Master of Theological Studies from Vanderbilt Divinity School and a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from Macalester College.Rachel Minkin, Associate Dean for Teaching & LearningMinkin noted she is excited to build on her experience from her time as interim associate dean and to help demonstrate MSU Libraries’ community impact. “I learned so much as Interim Associate Dean of Teaching & Learning — about the work done across the University in support of student success, research and outreach to the wider community,” she said. “Now I look forward to being a bigger part of those conversations, forging new and re-invigorating established Libraries/campus relationships and demonstrating our impact on those very things! MSU Libraries’ faculty and staff have such a range of expertise related to student success, research and outreach, which are hallmarks of library professionals in the Teaching & Learning division, and in this role, I hope to get us systematically involved in those wider University discussions. Many on campus know us and our work already, so I will be building on an already-firm foundation. I’m excited to get started!”MSU Dean of Libraries Neil Romanosky shared his enthusiasm about welcoming McGurr and Minkin to their roles. “I am thrilled with the additions of Melanie McGurr and Rachel Minkin to the MSU Libraries’ leadership team,” he said. “Both bring impressive knowledge and skills from their experiences at academic research libraries and engagement in the broader profession, and I look forward to collaborating with both of them as we work to advance the mission of the MSU Libraries.”The MSU Libraries, ranked among the top research libraries in North America, is at the center of academic life at Michigan State University, providing expertise, collections and infrastructure for discovery and creation. The MSU Libraries facilitates connections that support research, teaching, and learning in MSU’s local and global communities.View All News Articles