There are two faculty job changes at the University of Mississippi Libraries.

Laura Harper, Associate Professor and Head of Government Publications at the University of Mississippi’s J. D. Williams Library, retired on August 31, 2016 after 45 years of dedicated service.  She held various positions during her career at the University, including Interlibrary Loan Librarian, Reference Bibliographer, and Head of Online Search Services, before becoming the Regional Depository Librarian in 1988.  She holds a B.S. in Secondary Education (1968) and an M.L.S. (1969) from Louisiana State University.  Before moving to Mississippi in 1971, she was a public librarian in her hometown of Monroe, LA. 

Over the years, Laura has been an active member of MLA, serving as chair of the Automation & Networking Roundtable (1983), of MLA-ACRL (1992), and of MLA-GODORT (1991, 2003, 2008, and 2012).  She was also active in ALA as a member and chair of several ACRL, RASD, and GODORT committees.  From 2007 to 2011, she served on the inaugural Steering Committee for ASERL’s Collaborative Federal Depository Library Program.  In 2011, she was honored as the recipient of the Bernadine Abbott Hoduski Founders Award by ALA-GODORT. 

Laura says she knows she will miss her colleagues at the library and in the depository community in Mississippi but is looking forward to participating in volunteer activities in retirement and continuing to serve on the board of Friends of the Library.  

Cecelia Parks started at the University of Mississippi Libraries in July as a research and instruction librarian with liaison responsibilities to the departments of history and political science.  Originally from Harrisonburg, Virginia, Cecelia received her MLS from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 2016.