Mark Emmons serves as Dean of the College of University Libraries & Learning Sciences (CULLS) at the University of New Mexico, where he leads a multifaceted academic unit encompassing University Libraries, the Organization, Information & Learning Sciences (OILS) program, and the UNM Press. As Dean, he provides strategic leadership during a period of transformative planning and implementation.

A key priority of his deanship is the advancement of the 2025-2028 strategic plan for University Libraries, which affirms the College’s commitment to supporting communities through teaching, scholarship, and discovery. It centers on three strategic priorities – Student Success, Research Excellence, and Distinctive Collections – emphasizing inclusive access and regional cultural heritage, while incorporating themes such as space transformation, JEADI principles, and the potential of artificial intelligence. For OILS and the UNM Press, the focus remains on cultivating mutually beneficial partnerships that enhance learning, research, and the arts.

Dr. Emmons brings over thirty-five years of experience in academic librarianship, including prior service at Occidental College and approaching three decades on the UNM faculty. He holds a B.A. in Communication Studies and an MLS from UCLA, and an Ed.D. from the University of New Mexico. His scholarship spans leadership, information literacy, assessment, graduate student experience, and the application of generative AI in qualitative research. He is the author of Film and Television: A Guide to the Reference Literature and has published extensively about film resources. An engaged professional, he has served in numerous leadership roles within the Association of College & Research Libraries, most recently as chair of the ACRL committee revising the Standards for Libraries in Higher Education.

Select Publications
 
Academic Libraries and Student Success

“The Academic Library Impact on Student Persistence.”  College & Research Libraries: v72 n2 (March 2011): 128-149. Co-author: Frances C. Wilkinson.

“Teaching Information Literacy Skills to Prepare Teachers Who Can Bridge the Research to Practice Gap,” Reference & User Services Quarterly v49 n2 (Winter 2009): 140-150. Co-authors: Elizabeth B. Keefe, Veronica M. Moore, Rebecca M. Sánchez, Teresa Y. Neely, Michele M. Mals.

“Engaging Sources: Information Literacy and the Freshman Research Paper, Part 2.” LOEX Quarterly v37 n2 (Summer 2011): 8-10. Co-authors: Wanda Martin, Carroll Botts, Cassandra Amundson.

“Engaging Sources: Information Literacy and the Freshman Research Paper, Part 1.” LOEX Quarterly, v36 n4 (Winter 2010): 8-9, 12. Co-authors: Wanda Martin, Carroll Botts, Cassandra Amundson.

“Engaging Conversation: Evaluating the Contribution of Library Instruction to the Quality of Student Research,” College & Research Libraries v63 n6 (November 2002): 545-560. Co-author: Wanda Martin. Named to “LIRT’s Top Twenty for 2002” bibliographic instruction articles.

Film Resources

Film and Television: A Guide to the Reference Literature. Westport, Conn: Libraries Unlimited, 2006. Named to College & Research Libraries “Selected Reference Works” and as an American Library Association CHOICE “Outstanding Academic Title” for 2006.

“Film,” a chapter in RCL: Resources for College Libraries, 2007, edited by Marcus Elmore. New Providence, N.J.: R.R. Bowker & Chicago, IL: American Library Association, 2007. Co-author: Jane Sloan. [Available as a portion of a database, was published in book form in 2007]. I am now the sole editor for the film section, responsible for quarterly updates and annual revisions to the database – updates and revisions completed in 2008 and 2009, and with Anne Doherty as editor from 2010 to present.

“Collecting to the Core – The American Cinema: Directors and Directions, 1929-1968” Against the Grain: v31 n1 (February 2019): 33-34.

“American Filmmakers: A Critical List of Books.” Choice: v49 n10 (June 2012): 1789-1797. Co-author: Audra Bellmore.

“World Filmmakers: A Critical List of Books.” Choice: v50 n6 (February, 2013): 999-1005. Co-author: Audra Bellmore.