New Acquisitions Assessment and Discovery Services hirings elevate Walker Library’s user-friendliness by Patsy B. Weiler Two new, vibrant chapters are being written in the history of the James E. Walker Library this fall with the hiring of Dr. Jason Martin, associate dean for Assessment, and Denise Quintel, Discovery Services librarian. Both arrived at MTSU in time for the beginning of the 2016–17 academic year and bring solid backgrounds in librarianship. Jason Martin has more than 14 years’ experience in academic libraries. Most recently, he served as head of Public Services at the duPont-Ball Library at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. Interestingly, Stetson was the first university in the Sunshine State to hire a full-time librarian in 1888. JEWL Dean Bonnie Allen said Martin will establish his own tradition of firsts in Tennessee at the Walker Library. Jason Martin
“He is our first associate dean and the library’s first hire devoted to Assessment,” Allen explained. “His work will provide the data to guide the library in making decisions that will improve our services to the campus community, as well as substantiate the high value the library delivers to MTSU.” A Florida native, Martin earned his Bachelor of Arts in History and a Master of Arts in Library and Information Science from the University of South Florida, and a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of Central Florida. His research interests include leadership and organizational culture. Martin’s interest in MTSU increased after hearing “only good things about MTSU,” he said. “The campus and library are vibrant and growing, and I really like the direction the University and library are headed.” His focus at MTSU will be to work with Allen, the librarians, and library staff “to ensure that the services and programs the Walker Library offers are meeting the needs of the MTSU community and to investigate and assess what services and programs we could start offering,” he said. Away from his work, Martin is fond of growing his eight bonsai trees and likes cooking, photography, and nature walks. He said he was looking forward to exploring the Wat Lao Buddhist Temple in Murfreesboro and Grimey’s new and vintage music store in Nashville. At the time of this interview, Martin was reading Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction by Maia Szalavitz. If Martin could hang out with any past author, he said it would be Ernest Hemingway. “We could just sit around and talk about life,” Martin said with a laugh. “Maybe he could show me a few boxing moves.”
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