Amanda J. Wilson has been selected as Emory University’s next associate university librarian and director of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library, starting Aug. 25.
Wilson joins Emory Libraries from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), where she served as the deputy director of the User Services and Collection Division. She has worked at NLM in positions of increasing responsibility since 2017 and brings library experience from both the academic and the federal government arenas.
Wilson earned her bachelor’s degree from Emory University, double-majoring in music and psychology. Her master’s degree in library science is from the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill.
She began her libraries career at Emory’s Woodruff Library in 2000 as a student worker in the interlibrary loan department and e-reserves, then as a temporary library assistant.
“I’ve always wanted to come back to Emory’s libraries,” says Wilson. “I had a wonderful time as an undergrad. I always felt so supported.”
She had intended to pursue music therapy after college, but a reference librarian, Raquel Von Cogell, took her to lunch one day and talked to her about studying to be a librarian. Wilson already enjoyed working in the library, and Von Cogell convinced her to pursue a master’s in library sciences.
“The values that made librarianship and information science an attractive career to me then — service, supporting research and scholarship at the intersection of information and technology, collegial and collaborative networks — are what keep me energized and enthusiastic about the profession today,” Wilson says.
Prior to her position with the NLM, Wilson worked in the Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C., as the director of the National Transportation Library and the assistant director of the Office of Transportation Information Resources. Before that, she was an assistant professor and metadata librarian at The Ohio State University, where she worked with students, faculty and researchers.
“We’re excited to welcome Amanda Wilson to the Libraries. She has a demonstrated record of leadership at the National Library of Medicine, and she is skilled in leading organizational change,” says Lisa Macklin, Emory’s associate vice provost and university librarian. “Her prior leadership and experience will support the outstanding informationists and staff in the Woodruff Health Science Center Library and the collections and services they provide.”
Wilson is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Information Sciences at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., teaching library-related courses in collection development and management, and information professions and society.
Wilson has written and presented on health misinformation and health literacy. She co-edited the book “Combating Online Health Misinformation: A Professional’s Guide to Helping the Public” for which she also co-wrote two chapters on public trust in science and addressing misinformation through community engagement in libraries. Engagement, and ensuring both researchers and the community have access to accurate health science information, remain passions for her.
“Some of my proudest accomplishments at NLM are centered on the intersection of health information, community needs, and the partnering power of libraries, reaching both science and society,” says Wilson. “Stepping into this role at the Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library is a wonderful opportunity to continue doing just that with the academic, research and health care communities at Emory and in the Atlanta area.”