Mississippi Library Association

Laughlin (People in the News)

Sherry Laughlin retired from the University of Southern Mississippi in June 2009 following twenty-five years of service with the University Libraries. The majority of that time, sixteen years, was spent as the head of the reference/information services department at Cook Library. Most recently, Laughlin served as the associate dean for McCain Library and Archives. The USM Libraries hosted a university-wide reception on June 3, 2009, to mark the occasion of Laughlin’s retirement.

One of the highlights of Laughlin’s career at Southern Miss was her participation on a five-member committee that guided the planning, design, and construction of the Cook Library renovation and addition project from 1990 to 1997. She was also elected to two consecutive terms to the USM Faculty Senate and was elected president of the Faculty Senate for 2000/01.

Laughlin is active in the Mississippi Library Association. She was editor of Mississippi Libraries for five years and, under her leadership, ML won the H. W. Wilson award for outstanding periodical from a local, state, or regional library organization. Laughlin was elected MLA president for 1993 and is currently serving as Mississippi chapter councilor to the American Library Association and as co-chair of the local arrangements committee for the MLA annual conference.

This retirement does not mark the end of Laughlin’s career. On June 15, 2009, she began a new position as director of libraries and learning resources at William Carey University. She will oversee library operations at the Dumas L. Smith/I.E. Rouse Library on the William Carey University campus in Hattiesburg, at the McMullan Learning Resource Center on the Gulf Coast, and at the Learning Resources Center for the nursing program at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

Asked to reflect on this transition, Laughlin said, “I will miss working with wonderful colleagues and friends at USM, but the nice thing about moving just across town is that I will still be able to see them frequently. The position at William Carey University is a great opportunity for me to develop new collegial relationships with librarians and library staff, faculty, and students. I’ll have to hit the ground running, as later this summer we will be moving the Gulfport branch to its new facility on the William Carey campus at Tradition, we are facing a SACS reaffirmation visit in a few months, and the university has just broken ground on its proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine, so those collections and services will need to be developed.”

Entry Filed under: News
Posted on: June 2nd, 2009