Athena Jackson named UCLA university librarian
AcademicFaculty and StaffAthena N. Jackson has been named UCLA’s Norman and Armena Powell University Librarian. Her appointment will begin March 1.
Jackson, the former director of special collections at UCLA Library, has served since 2021 as dean of libraries at the University of Houston, where she holds the Elizabeth D. Rockwell Chair.
Over her career, Jackson has led major efforts to increase and promote access to library resources through modern channels, support inclusive practices, and provide transformative learning opportunities for those in academic communities.
“Our libraries play a critical role in the academic enterprise at UCLA,” said UCLA Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Darnell Hunt, “and Chancellor Block and I are confident that Athena will provide outstanding leadership as university librarian.”
At the University of Houston, Jackson was responsible for oversight of the library’s administrative activities, a team of more than 125 and an annual budget of $21 million, providing programmatic and strategic leadership while playing a critical role in development activities. She was also active in open-scholarship dialogues at state and national levels, drawing on her rich background in rare and archival collections.