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After working at the USF Libraries for 31 years, Susan Silver, Associate Librarian in the Research & Instruction department on the Tampa campus, is retiring. Susan has been the liaison librarian for a range of behavioral science programs including Psychology and the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, as well as serving law courses across disciplines.
During her tenure at USF, academic libraries have changed dramatically. Our tremendous array of integrated online resources seems ubiquitous to us now, but at one time, Susan and colleagues at the USF Libraries forged our University’s first Virtual Library. Our current centralized website, where we can search and access our books, databases, journals, articles, and other resources, comes from Susan’s and her colleagues initial efforts.
Susan’s service to the profession and the Tampa Library has been steady and noteworthy. Her national service focused on the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) and Anthropology and Social Sciences Section (ANSS). At ANSS, she served as Chair of two national committees and was a member of the ANSS executive leadership. And if there was a committee within the USF Tampa Library, you can be assured that at one time Susan served on it. Committees ranging from Merit Pay and faculty compression to the Virtual Library Implementation Team; from assessing website discovery to chairing numerous librarian search committees. Susan’s history of consistent dedication has kept the Tampa Library moving forward with ever-improving services to USF faculty and students.
Legal research, particularly in the field of Education Law, has been the primary focus of Susan’s scholarly activity. Part of this stemmed from her professional experience as a Law Librarian before coming to USF, and part of it perhaps from the collaborative relationships that she forged with faculty. In this capacity, she was the co-editor of two books, Religion and Law in Public Schools and Research Methods for Studying Legal Issues in Education, as well as publishing numerous articles and chapters on the topic.
Susan shared what she’ll miss most about working at the USF Libraries: “I will miss the rituals of working on a college campus, like the quiet in August, the students arriving on campus in the fall, the first day of the semester, graduation and all the activities that are part of campus life. I will also miss the students and their excitement and curiosity. But mostly I will miss my colleagues and friends in the library and around campus. The USF Libraries is an incredibly supportive environment, particularly for parents who are trying balance career and family.”
Susan is most looking forward to deleting Microsoft Teams and Outlook from her phone and computer, and shared, “It will be one of the first things I plan to do!” She’s looking forward to having the time to pursue her interests on her own schedule and catching up with family and friends. Staying in Tampa in the short-term, with plans to eventually move closer to her daughter, Susan will be travelling to visit national parks and is planning a future trans-Atlantic cruise to Europe. Her advice to everyone “is to take advantage of all that USF has to offer, personally and professionally.”
After a dedicated career at the USF Libraries, we wish Susan great joy, health, and companionship in her retirement. GO BULLS!