Michèle Cloonan came to the Simmons School of Library and Information Science in August 2002. She was dean and professor through December 2012 and is now dean emerita and professor. Previously, she was chair and associate professor, Department of Information Studies, UCLA. Michele has worked at the Newberry Library, Brown University, and Smith College, as a conservator, preservation librarian, and a special collections curator. She has published extensively in the areas of preservation, book trade and publishing history, and other areas such as intellectual freedom and international librarianship. Her most recent publications have concerned the preservation of digital media and the cultural, moral, and ethical dimensions of preserving cultural heritage.
Michèle has held a variety of offices in the American Library Association, the American Printing History Association, the Northeast Document Conservation Center—where she was chair of the board of directors, and the Massachusetts Center for the Book. She was president of the Association for Library and Information Science Education in 2008-09. She has also served on the editorial boards of Libraries & Culture, Library Quarterly, and Libri. Her honors include the Banks/Harris Preservation Award, the Robert Vosper/IFLA Fellows Programme Award, the Bibliographic Society of America Fellowship, and a fellowship to the Virginia Center of Creative Arts. She holds degrees from Bennington College (AB), the University of Chicago (AM), and the University of Illinois (MS, Ph.D.).
What I Teach
- LIS 401: Foundations of Library and Information Science
- LIS 404: Principles of Management
- LIS 439: Preservation Management in Libraries and Archives
- LIS 620: History, Concepts, and Research Opportunities
- LIS 404: Principles of Management
Research/Creative Activities
I am currently working on three books: the first is Monumental Preservation, which addresses social, cultural, and political issues in cultural heritage preservation. The second book, with Elizabeth Joffrion, Advancing Preservation, focuses on archives. The third will be in collaboration with Martha Mahard and Peter Botticelli. It will contain case studies on the LAMs.