New Associate Dean of Libraries Supports Online Scholarship

HollyMercer3Holly Mercer joins the UT Knoxville Libraries on January 17 as Associate Dean for Scholarly Communication and Research Services. She will oversee the Libraries’ research services, library technology, and digital services.

Mercer comes to UT from Texas A&M University, where she served as head of Digital Services and Scholarly Communication.

Dean of Libraries Steve Smith looks forward to working with the Libraries’ new associate dean to provide new services to UT scholars. “Holly is a committed advocate for digital scholarship and open access. She is a great collaborator and is nationally recognized for her expertise in emerging models for online research and publication. Holly will be a great advocate for the UT research community.”

At TAMU, Mercer established a digital services center and promoted the effective use of new forms of scholarship.

“In the changing landscape of scholarship, libraries will need to be involved in new modes of research from creation to preservation,” said Mercer. “The validity of online scholarship in the promotion and tenure process rests, in part, on the ability of libraries to provide reliable, long-term access to datasets, blogs, or whatever new forms of scholarly communication emerge.”

Mercer holds a master’s in library and information science from the University of South Carolina and a bachelor’s degree in classical studies from Duke University. She has served on a number of national committees including the Open Repositories Steering Committee and the American Library Association’s Office for Information Technology Policy advisory committee.