PASCAL News

Women’s History Month Spotlight on Leaders in the PASCAL Community: Ruth Riley

March is Women’s History Month. In honor of this annual celebration recognizing the history and achievements of women, PASCAL is highlighting some of the remarkable women leaders in our community. We are pleased to share spotlights of six leaders who all play a vital role at their institutions, in the PASCAL Community, the library profession, and beyond. 

Ruth A. Riley, MS, AHIP, is assistant dean for executive affairs and director of library services at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia. Riley earned her master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Illinois and completed her bachelor’s degree in sociology at the University of Kansas. Riley joined the University of South Carolina faculty in 2000. She has worked in three other academic health sciences libraries including the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Library, the Alfred Taubman Medical Library at the University of Michigan, and the J. Otto Lottes Health Sciences Library at the University of Missouri. She has served as President of the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries, as Chair of the Southern Chapter of the Medical Library Association and Chair of the Partnership Among South Carolina Academic Libraries.

Hobbies & interests:
I love playing and watching tennis, baking with cold stone milled whole grain flour, listening to smooth jazz, hanging out on Folly Beach, and playing with my Pug, two Siamese cats, and Conure.

Tell us about another woman working in the field of libraries and information science who you admire:
I most admire E. Diane Johnson, Assistant Director, Information Services and Resources, J. Otto Lottes Health Sciences Library, at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. As my supervisor in my first professional position of Information Services Librarian, Diane gave me an extremely solid foundation of training in reference, literature searching, and medical librarianship. She continues to be my role model for professionalism, life long learning and dedication to serving the information needs of faculty, staff and students in the health sciences.
 

PASCAL’s Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee would like to thank all the leaders who have shared their stories with the PASCAL community. There are, of course, many more great women leaders in the PASCAL community. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating Women’s History Month by taking a moment to recognize – and thank – the remarkable women in your library.