Castleton University Names Beth Bidlack New Library Director

Castleton, VT (08/21/2019) — Castleton University is pleased to announce that it has named Beth Bidlack director of Calvin Coolidge Library.

Bidlack comes to Castleton from Union Theological Seminary where she served as associate dean of academic affairs. Previous to that, she was the director of Burke Library of Columbia University Libraries. Bidlack holds a Ph.D. in Religious and Theological Studies from Boston University and an M.S. in Library and Information Science from University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign Graduate School of Library and Information Science.

Bidlack said she was impressed with the campus community during the interview process.

"When I interviewed, there was a real sense of community and care among the students and that really piqued my interest," Bidlack said.

Bidlack said she would like to continue discussions on campus about how to more closely coordinate student support services with the library.

"I hope to strengthen the library as a conversation center on campus. For me, libraries are not four walls with materials inside, but places where ideas and information are exchanged - and we hopefully move from information to knowledge to wisdom, eventually," Bidlack said. "My goal is to find ways to work within the curriculum in order to support faculty in this age of information overload."

Bidlack views the role of the modern library as the hub for connecting people with resources far beyond the printed book, whether its video, electronic materials, or another student.

"The library is a place where conversation can happen. It's about taking information and applying it," Bidlack said. "The library helps students learn to identify information, evaluate it, and apply it."

Provost Thomas Mauhs-Pugh is pleased to add someone of Bidlack's experience.

"Beth is an excellent librarian, a fascinating scholar, and a delightful colleague. I'm thrilled to welcome her to campus," Mauhs-Pugh said.

About the Calvin Coolidge Library
Castleton University's Calvin Coolidge Library provides resources and services to the community in support of research, teaching and learning, intellectual curiosity and enrichment, and civic engagement. The library's collection contains items in a variety of formats, including over 170,000 physical volumes, approximately 200 print subscriptions, and online access to the full text of over 40,000 journals, magazines, and newspapers.

Media Attachments