Jonathan Miller

Jonathan Miller

Director of Libraries

413-597-2502
Sawyer Library
At Williams since 2017

Education

B.A. University of Sheffield
M.L.S. SUNY College at Buffalo
Ph.D. University of Pittsburgh, Library & Information Science

Areas of Expertise

My professional interests include Human Information Behavior (HIB), college library administration, the future of libraries, copyright history, open access,  the history of information storage and communication technologies like books, and the burgeoning impact of artificial intelligence and machine learning on libraries. After a decade of enjoying life on three continents, while bartending, teaching English as a foreign language, managing rental property, working for HM Customs & Excise, canvassing, and finally bookselling, I began my library career at The Ohio State University Health Sciences Library in 1992, and fell in love with liberal arts college librarianship at Augustana College in the late 90’s.  However, I returned to R1 university librarianship at Pitt in 2002, where I completed my PhD. By 2006 I was back in the liberal arts “teaching in paradise” as Library Director of the Olin Library at Rollins College in Florida. The chance to work with exceptional colleagues,  intellectually curious students, and with an administration committed to building a more diverse and inclusive College, drew me to Williams and I have grown to love the northern Berkshires where Bethany and I enjoy theatre, music, biking, hiking, snowshoeing, kayaking, locally sourced food, and easy access to New York City and Boston.

Since first being introduced to them in library school by Professor Lorna Peterson at SUNY Buffalo, S.R. Ranganathan’s Five Laws of Library Science remain a touchstone in my librarianship.

I have recently deleted my accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn having become disillusioned about the role social media was playing in my life. So don’t be surprised if you don’t find me on those platforms. I hope this does not result in me becoming more socially isolated. Please stay in touch!

Scholarship/Creative Work

Miller, Jonathan. “The New Library User: Machine Learning.EDUCAUSE Review. 2020 Issue #1: 62-63. Viewpoints Column.

Miller, Jonathan. “Miller, Jonathan. “Bringing OER to the Liberal Arts: an innovative grant program.” OER: A Field Guide for Academic Librarians. Eds. Andrew Wesolek, Anne Langley and Jonathan Lashley. Forest Grove, OR: Pacific University Press. 2018.

Miller, Jonathan. “So, You Find Yourself Supervising Faculty Librarians. What Now?” So You Want to Be an Academic Library Director. Ed. Colleen S. Harris. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions, 2017.

Miller, Jonathan. “A Method for Evaluating Library Liaison Activities in Small Academic Libraries.” Journal of Library Administration. 54(6) 2014: 483-500

Montgomery, Susan and Miller, Jonathan. “The Third Place: the library as collaborative and community space in a time of fiscal restraint.College & Undergraduate Libraries. 18(23) Summer 2011: 228-38.

Miller, Jonathan. “Open Access and Liberal Arts Colleges: Looking beyond Research Institutions.College and Research Libraries News. 72(1) January 2011: 16-9, 30. Scholarly Communication Column.

Miller, Jonathan. “On and On We Go With Copyright: The Role of the Association of Research Libraries in the Development of the 1976 Copyright Act.” Dissertation. University of Pittsburgh, 2009

Miller, Jonathan. “Publishers Did Not Take the Bait: A forgotten precursor to the NIH Open Access Policy.College & Research Libraries. 70(2) 2009 March 2009 123-32.

Miller, Jonathan. “Quick and Easy Reference Evaluation: Gathering Users’ and Providers’ Perspectives.” RUSQ.  47 (3) 2008:17-21.

Miller, Jonathan. Book Review: “Five laws of Library Science.” Reprinted in The Friends of the JU Library. 2008: 3.

Miller, Jonathan. “Academic Libraries: an endangered species?” Augustana College Magazine Winter 2001: 13-14.

Miller, Jonathan. “Developing Library Staff for the 21st Century, edited by Maureen Sullivan.” (Book Review) Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery and Information Supply 7 (4) 1997: 91-92.

Miller, Jonathan. “Primary Clientele as a Predictor of Interlibrary Borrowing: a study of academic health sciences libraries.” Bulletin of the Medical Library Association 1 (85) January 1997: 11-15.

Miller, Jonathan. “How Are Libraries Using QuickDOC? Results of a national survey of QuickDOC users.” Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery and Information Supply 5 (3) 1995: 71-88.

Miller, Jonathan. “The Electronic Library Information System as a source of ILL Requests.” Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery and Information Supply 4 (2) Spring 1993: 17-28.

Miller, Jonathan. “The Rustle of a Star: an annotated bibliography of Deaf characters in fiction.” Library Trends 41 (1) Summer 1992: 42-60.

Professional Affiliations

American Library Association

Association of College & Research Libraries

Eastern Academic Scholars Trust (EAST) Board member 2024 — present

Boston Library Consortium Board, Member 2017 – present, Member, Management Council 2022-24

John William Miller Fellowship Fund Advisory Committee, member 2017 – Present

Lever Press Oversight Committee, Member 2017-19 and 2020-23, Chair 2019

ProQuest North American Customer Advisory Board. Member 2014 — Present