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Welcoming New Associate Dean for Collections and Scholarly Communication, Joel Thornton

It is with pleasure that the J. Willard Marriott Library announces the appointment of Joel Thornton, M.S., as the Associate Dean for Collections and Scholarly Communication, effective February 2022. With this appointment, Mr. Thornton will lead and direct collection development and acquisition of materials, digital scholarship services, faculty services, graduate and undergraduate services, and scholarly communication for the Marriott Library. He brings over 25 years of experience in private industry and academic libraries.  His most recent roles include Director of Research and Instruction Services and Interim Associate Dean of Research & Learning at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, along with Associate Professor of Library Science at Fayetteville and previously at Texas A&M University.

Thornton graduated from the University of North Texas with a M.S. in Information Science after earning a B.B.A. in Accounting from Pittsburgh State University. He is continuing his personal educational endeavors, currently pursuing a M.S. in Operations Management and Project Management Graduate Certificate from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. As a Certified Public Accountant, Thornton has provided financial leadership and expertise for global business operations, as well as oversight of financial audits for airline giant, American Airlines.

Thornton was a Spectrum Scholar and is a past participant of the Association of Research Libraries Leadership and Career Development Program.  Before leaving the University of Arkansas, he also participated in the SEC Academic Leadership Development Program.

Thornton’s scholarly research work combines business and libraries with a focus on strategy development in areas that pose challenges to university libraries including publication pricing, digital landscapes and subtle discrimination. His articles are featured in several publications, including “Elsevier Title Level Pricing: Dissecting the Bowl of Spaghetti,” published in the Journal of Librarian Leadership and Scholarly Communication and “Researching Public Pension Plans,” published in the Journal of Business & Finance Librarianship.

“It is my sincere pleasure to welcome Joel to the library as Associate Dean for Collections and Scholarly Communication. I know that, under Joel’s leadership, we will break new ground in supporting research, scholarship and teaching at our tier-one research university. Moreover, all of the higher education libraries in the state will benefit from Joel’s comprehensive, ‘big picture’ vision.”

Alberta Comer, Dean of Libraries

4 Comments
  • Pingback:A Welcome to New Library Hires | J. Willard Marriott Library Blog
    Posted at 18:26h, 02 February Reply

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  • Pingback:Day in Review (January 31–February 3) - Association of Research Libraries
    Posted at 21:33h, 03 February Reply

    […] Welcoming New Associate Dean for Collections and Scholarly Communication, Joel Thornton (The University of Utah J. Willard Marriott Library) […]

  • Hallie Lewis
    Posted at 10:54h, 26 July Reply

    Congratulations to Joel Thornton on his appointment as the Associate Dean for Collections and Scholarly Communication at the J. Willard Marriott Library! With over 25 years of experience in private industry and academic libraries, his leadership will undoubtedly make a significant impact. Best wishes for a successful tenure!

  • Kate Thomas
    Posted at 12:39h, 06 September Reply

    Joel Thornton’s appointment as Associate Dean brings a wealth of experience spanning private industry and academia. His background in information science and financial expertise make him well-suited to lead the library’s collection development and digital scholarship initiatives effectively.

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