Libraries Administration
Administration HomeAbout Steven Smith
Steven Escar Smith is dean of libraries at the University of Tennessee’s flagship campus in Knoxville. In this role, Smith administers the John C. Hodges Main Library and three branch libraries with emphases in music, social work, and agriculture and veterinary medicine, and oversees a budget of $9 million and a collection of more than 3.3 million print and electronic volumes. The UT Libraries ranks 25th among public research member libraries of the Association of Research Libraries.
At the UT Libraries, Smith currently is guiding a $3 million renovation of the learning commons, and is planning the renovation of the stacks floors to improve infrastructure, aesthetics, and security. He has expanded library hours to include 24/5 access to the stacks, and has introduced new student support activities. Another of Smith’s priorities is expansion of the Library Friends group and enhanced donor maintenance. Smith recently was appointed by the Tennessee Secretary of State to the statewide Advisory Council on Libraries.
Smith was formerly associate dean for collections, services, and advancement at Texas A&M University (TAMU), where he founded the internationally known Book History Workshop. At TAMU, Smith oversaw fundraising initiatives that resulted in more than $19 million in cash and gifts to support the library's mission in addition to securing the two largest outright gifts in the library’s history.
Recognized internationally for his expertise in building rare and special collections, Smith led recruitment of major humanities collections during his direction of TAMU’s Cushing Memorial Library and Archives. He was co-PI on an NEH-funded grant to create a hypertext archive of images associated with the Don Quixote. At UT, he continues an emphasis on building special and digital collections.
Smith currently holds an adjunct appointment in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee, and previously held adjunct graduate faculty appointments in the Department of English at TAMU and in the School of Information and Library Sciences at the University of North Texas.
Smith holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English literature, and a master’s degree in librarianship from the University of South Carolina, as well as a doctorate in English literature from Texas A&M.
Steve Smith Curriculum Vitae (PDF file)
UT Libraries
Administration
Steven Smith
Dean of Libraries
Rita Smith
Executive Associate Dean
Sandy Leach
Associate Dean for Collections
Holly Mercer
Associate Dean for Scholarly Communication and Research Services
Erin K. Horeni-Ogle
Development Director
Sheree M. Spoons
Business Services Director
Elizabeth Greene
Manager,
Human Resources
Megan Venable Smith
Manager,
Administration Office
Contact Us
607 John C. Hodges Library
1015 Volunteer Boulevard
Knoxville, TN 37996-1000
(865) 974-6600 voice
(865) 974-4259 fax
