Penn State University Libraries has named Athena Jackson the Dorothy Foehr Huck Chair and head of the Eberly Family Special Collections Library. Jackson comes to Penn State from the University of Michigan Special Collections Library, where she served as associate director.

Athena Jackson

“Athena will be a tremendous asset for the University Libraries,” Anne Langley, associate dean for Research, Collections and Scholarly Communications, said. “Her experience in project management, exhibitions, collections and digitization, and her strong national presence among faculty librarians and professional library leaders, are advantageous strengths for leading our complex and highly regarded Special Collections Library.”

While at the University of Michigan Library, Jackson managed Reader Services and Collection Services and participated in the planning, policy development and priority setting for the library.

Previously she served as special collections librarian at the University of Miami, education and outreach librarian and project manager/librarian for Digitizing Louisiana Newspapers Project at Louisiana State University, and North Carolina Newspaper Digitization Project coordinator and archivist at the North Carolina State Archives.

Jackson holds a master of science degree in library and information science from the University of North Texas and a bachelor of arts degree in English from the University of Houston. She will start at the University Libraries on March 21.