Linfield University has named Maureen Joyous Barney as the university librarian, effective July 1.
Barney, an assistant professor and the university’s information literacy librarian since 2020, brings more than two decades of experience in academic libraries and writing support to the position. She holds a Ph.D. in technical communication and rhetoric from Texas Tech University and an M.S. in library and information science from the University of Washington.
A former director of the Graduate Writing Center at Concordia University-Portland, Barney has published and presented widely on topics related to graduate student support, online learning and scholarly writing. In her new role, she will lead the library’s strategic direction, oversee academic support services and help steward Linfield’s evolving role in information access, instruction and scholarly engagement.
Barney succeeds Ginny Blackson, who served as university librarian since 2019. Blackson led the library through the COVID-19 pandemic and helped launch Linfield’s first Provost Academy. She also taught the course Feminism, Fantasy, and the Fourth Wave, mentored first-generation students and served as an academic advisor. Blackson was also instrumental in the creation of the permanent Emily Loveridge exhibit on the Portland campus. She said she is returning to her home state of Washington to spend more time with her husband, dogs and chickens — and to catch up on her reading.
The Linfield University Libraries includes physical spaces on two campuses, including the Portland Campus Library and the Jereld R. Nicholson Library on the McMinnville campus. It also has a robust online presence, which includes access to the digital archives, eBooks, articles, newspapers and more. Nicholson Library is open to the public. Current summer hours are 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Linfield University is an independent, nonprofit university with campuses in McMinnville and Portland, Oregon, as well an eCampus for online learning. Since 1858, Linfield has connected traditional liberal arts experience with practical education through 54 majors, including wine studies, sport management and nursing. Linfield also offers interdisciplinary master’s degrees in business, nursing and sports sciences. For six years running, U.S. News & World Report has named Linfield one of the top liberal arts colleges in the nation when it comes to social mobility. Forty percent of Linfield undergraduates are first-generation college students, and 39% are U.S. students of color. Linfield competes in the NCAA Division III Northwest Conference. Learn more at www.linfield.edu.
