Ļć½¶Ö±²„Libraries elected to the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) membership
Contact: Sid Salter
STARKVILLE, Miss.ā Ļć½¶Ö±²„ President Mark E. Keenum today [April 29] congratulated the Ļć½¶Ö±²„Librariesā faculty and staff on their election to membership in the prestigious Association of Research Libraries (ARL).
The ARL membership voted at its Spring 2026 Association Meeting to invite the Ļć½¶Ö±²„Libraries to join ARL, effective July 1.Ā Ļć½¶Ö±²„is now the only Mississippi university to have been granted ARL membership, joining an elite group of some 125 research university libraries that hold ARL status in the U.S. and Canada.
āAchieving Association of Research Libraries membership has been a top priority and central focus for our outstanding university library system, and I am thrilled to see our Ļć½¶Ö±²„Libraries leadership, faculty and staff achieve this goal,ā Ļć½¶Ö±²„President Mark E. Keenum said. āWe are proud to be Mississippiās leading research university, and ARL status reflects and enhances the incredible research our students, faculty and staff are engaged in every day.ā
Keenum noted ARL membership is the culmination of years of effort and investment on the part of many faculty, staff and friends of the Ļć½¶Ö±²„Libraries.
āCongratulations to Dean Lis Keith and her team for this outstanding achievement. I also want to thank former Dean Frances Coleman for her many years of leadership that helped pave the way to attaining ARL membership, as well as the many donors who have supported the Ļć½¶Ö±²„Libraries with their gifts,ā Keenum said.
The ARL is a nonprofit membership organization of in major public and private universities, federal government agencies, and large public institutions in Canada and the U.S. ARL champions research libraries and archives, develops visionary leaders, and shapes policy for the equitable advancement of knowledge.
Ļć½¶Ö±²„Provost and Executive Vice President David R. Shaw said the selection of the Ļć½¶Ö±²„Libraries for ARL status āis a validation of the caliber of research conducted daily at Ļć½¶Ö±²„and of the scientists and researchers who do that hard and relevant work.ā
āĻć½¶Ö±²„scholars depend on the quality of our library and our librarians to advance their research,ā Shaw said. āARL represents the best of the best in university research libraries.ā
The vote to approve MSUās membership followed a review of the libraries that considered both qualitative and quantitative data, a site visit to the campus, site visit team recommendations, library documentation, and an ARL Membership Committee review. The ARL Membership Committee and the ARL Board enthusiastically supported MSUās candidacy for membership.Ā
āWe are pleased to welcome Ļć½¶Ö±²„ to membership in ARL,ā said ARL President Melissa Just, dean of libraries, University of Southern California. āWe look forward to their participation in the Associationās work.ā
āThe Association is made stronger by new members in the same way new members are made stronger by the Association,ā said ARL Membership Committee Chair Stanley Wilder, dean of libraries, Louisiana State University.Ā
āARL membership affirms that Ļć½¶Ö±²„Libraries provide the resources, expertise, and vision expected of a leading research institution that is deeply committed to expanding access, supporting discovery, and advancing solutions that matter,ā said Ļć½¶Ö±²„Libraries Dean Lis Keith, who formally accepted ARL membership on the universityās behalf.
āThis recognition aligns directly with MSUās Strategic Plan for Transformational Change, which calls on us to elevate research excellence, expand student success, deepen community engagement, and lead with innovation,ā said Keith. āOur library faculty and staff embody these goals every day, and we are honored to join ARLās distinguished consortium of research libraries and look forward to contributing to the collaborative work that drives meaningful and lasting impact.ā
Ļć½¶Ö±²„Libraries advance the universityās land-grant mission of teaching, research, and service. The libraries support a growing research enterprise through robust collections, digital scholarship services, and a strong commitment to open access and data-informed research.
Through technology-rich, student-centered spaces, including 24/7 learning environments, and integrated services such as advising, writing support, and undergraduate research, the libraries play a vital role in student success. The libraries also steward nationally significant special collections, including the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library and the Frank and Virginia Williams Collection of Lincolniana.
Committed to innovation, student success, andĀ globalĀ impact, Ļć½¶Ö±²„Libraries are a key partner in advancing research and scholarship at the land-grant university.
Ļć½¶Ö±²„ is taking care of what matters. Learn more atĀ .