LNDL is excited to welcome Alison S. Gregory as our new Library Director. She was unanimously appointed by the Library’s Board of Trustees and started her role on January 26, 2026. Prior to her appointment, Gregory was the Dean of Libraries and Assistant Provost for Special Projects at Marymount University, where she worked for 7.5 years. From 2013-2018, Gregory served as Associate Professor, Associate Dean, and Director of Library Services at Snowden Library at Lycoming College, along with other leadership role experiences prior. She is currently chair of the board of the College Library Director Mentoring Program and is the Vice President for Chapter Development for the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. Gregory received her Bachelor of Arts in History from Lycoming College in 1997, her Master’s in Library Science from Clarion University in 2005, her Master’s in Leadership & Management from Marymount University, and attended the Harvard Leadership Institute for Academic Librarians in 2015.
LNDL’s Marketing Student Worker, Bridget Babington, recently sat down with Alison to learn more about her role and experience.
Could you share more about your background and previous experience in leadership roles before joining LNDL?
I have been [working] 21 years as an academic librarian. I have always worked in college or university libraries because I really enjoy the environment of being around constant learning… and it’s meaningful to me to be part of the process while students are learning things. I had 8 years of experience as a reference and instruction librarian, and then I became the director at that library. I was in that role for five years, and then most recently, I was at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia, for 7.5 years as their Dean of Libraries. Marymount is also a Catholic institution, so I have been affiliated with Catholic higher education now for quite some time.
What initially drew you to LNDL and what made you feel like this was the next step for you?
Both of the institutions [Loyola University Maryland Notre Dame of Maryland University] and the Library have shown a real commitment to the liberal arts foundation, which is something that is very important to me. I think it’s important that we study all the different fields as it makes for a really more well-rounded person who can then go out and contribute to humanity in different ways. Even though we’re in a time when a lot of the public is sort of questioning the value of studying things that are not just to get a job, both Loyola and Notre Dame have really adhered to those roots, and I thought that was admirable. I also like that in a time of political heat around diversity, equity, inclusion, and access, both universities and the Library have retained that commitment publicly. They didn’t shy away from it, and I thought that that really aligned well with my values, and I thought that this was an appealing opportunity. I also think it’s a good opportunity to support those values, in a way that’s not just, ‘hey, that’s really cool that you all are doing that,’ now let me be a part of how we continue to move that forward, how we support liberal arts, as well as the value that’s added from having diversity all around us, in all of its forms.
How would you describe your role here to a student who may not know?
I oversee all the operations, and that includes the front desk where people are checking out materials, facilities, collections, technology, and reference and instruction. I’m not directly the person who does any of those, but I oversee the people on the team. I’m the manager of the library, is probably the terminology that more people would be familiar with. I lead the individuals and the teams who make all of those things happen every day and come together. The other side of my role is collaborating with the provosts and deans and other academic leaders at both universities to make sure that the library is supporting their academic missions, visions, and values, to make sure that what the library is doing is equitably supporting the students at both institutions. So, I have to be in a lot of meetings. As their curriculum changes at either university, we need to make sure that the Library is proactively ahead of that, so that we have the resources that the students in those programs might need, that we’ve got the expertise within our research and learning program to support the information literacy, the AI literacy, copyright, all of those things. So, I oversee what’s happening in the library, and then I work with those from both institutions as the curriculum can shift, and that’s something that we have to be very responsive to.
How have your previous experiences shaped your approach now in directing LNDL?
One of the things that I enjoy about the work is that I can’t get bored. Every day brings some new challenge, especially because a lot of what I do is working with people, and everyone is different in how they work together. This means I am in constant learning mode, always having to adapt what we do to meet the needs of the curriculum of the students, the faculty, and the staff that we serve, and with that, meeting the needs of the team within the Library and how they are supported. Also, part of my experience is that I have a master’s degree in library science, and I have a master’s degree in leadership and management. That has been very helpful for me, earning that degree was a lot of applying theory in leading people, change management, organization development, executive coaching, and communication. I think that it has really helped me grow as a leader to be able to use the theory to drive a better solution of something that needs to be addressed rather than more practical ways. So, for example, if I see a process that’s not making sense to me – and they stand out when you’re new – you see something and wonder ‘why are we doing it that way?’ I could just make the change, and everybody would have to do what I say. But that’s not really the best way to get long-term results. There’s change management theory and processes that I can use that will get us to the same place, but they’re done in a way that helps everybody understand why the change is coming. People get to have an opportunity for input on what’s going to be the next step. It helps people to feel that they have really shaped the place that they’re working in, and that’s more important to me than getting something done fast. It’s making sure that people who do the work are part of the process of making a change.
What are you looking forward to and what are your upcoming goals as the new director of LNDL?
What I’m looking forward to is getting a chance to start meeting more students. I’ve really just been in the learning mode, we call it drinking from the fire hose, it’s just this onslaught of information as I’m brand new in the job. And as that’s starting to get under control, I’m looking forward to getting out and meeting students, meeting the rest of our students here in the Library, but also just interacting with students at campus events for both universities. The goal, as the new director, is to not drown this year, to learn and to listen so that I understand the context of why we do things, the way we do them, the context of the culture of both universities, and how those fit together, because the library is really their one point of intersection. Also, learning how the team here in the Library works together and what teams are responsible for different things, is really the goal, because I want to understand and respect where things are. The staff in this library are amazing. I have already been incredibly impressed, not just by the quantity of things that they’re doing, but by the quality of work and how consistent they are in the work that they do every day. [It] is just amazing. So, the goal is to not drown while I learn.
What is the biggest thing you’ve learned throughout your career / the best advice you can give someone interested in pursuing a similar career?
I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is that libraries are public services, which I knew going into it, right? But we work with the public, and in this case, it’s the students, faculty, and staff at both universities, and for me, I work with the people who work in the Library. The biggest single lesson I’ve had to learn is how important it is to be patient and give grace, because we are dealing with humans. Libraries are not only books on shelves. What we do is get those books, or electronic resources, or whatever the case may be, into the hands of people who need them. And so, if a student comes with a reference question and they’re panicked because their paper is due tomorrow morning…maybe they’re not on their best behavior because they’re feeling frustrated. Yes, I need to get the resources to the student, but first I need to give them grace and understand where they are, so that we can work together to get them where they need to be so that they can finish the paper. But in terms of if somebody wanted to pursue a similar career, you need to be not just prepared but excited to learn something new every day because it is constantly something new and a new opportunity, a new challenge, a new topic.
What is the process of becoming a librarian? What sort of majors would lead you into these roles?
Any and all. Quite literally, any undergraduate major can go into library science as a master’s degree. I actually did a national survey study about eight or nine years ago which over 1,100 people responded to. It was really asking them ‘what did you do as an undergrad? How did you get into this, this line of work?’ Thinking, is it certain majors that tend to go into libraries, or what is it? And it was all over the board. A lot of English majors. A lot of education majors, but also physics, and math, and Russian, and you name it. I think a lot of what draws people into it is sort of an innate curiosity. I love being in the learning environment, and I know I’ve said that multiple times, but it’s true, and I think that tends to be what draws people into it. If you want to become a librarian, you get a master’s degree in library science and there are programs in I think 46 of the states accredited through the American Library Association. They’re one to three years, depending on how fast you want to get through the program. That’s how you start as a professional librarian, but a lot of people start their careers working in non-librarian roles as staff members, and then further pursue a degree in library science.
What is a fun fact about you, personal or professional, that people might be surprised to learn?
I don’t know that people would be surprised to learn that I love to read. I read mostly historical fiction that centers on women, that’s my favorite genre. I do a lot of hot power yoga… and I also love to do indoor rock climbing. I am pretty proficient at that; that’s something I enjoy. The thing that people might be surprised to learn is that I used to wear a tool belt to work. My family had a residential construction business, and I used to be out on ladders and scaffolding and doing roofs and sidings. That’s what I did before I figured out that I wanted to be a librarian. I got my undergrad degree and then it took me a few years to figure out what I wanted to do with it. In the meantime, I worked in construction and then became a librarian.