MSU Libraries elected to the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) membership

STARKVILLE, Miss.— ��ɫ��Ƶ President Mark E. Keenum today [April 29] congratulated the MSU Libraries’ faculty and staff on their election to membership in the prestigious Association of Research Libraries (ARL).

Tulips blooming in front of MSU's Mitchell Memorial Library — Tulips bloom in front of MSU’s Mitchell Memorial Library. The prestigious Association of Research Libraries has invited MSU Libraries to join the elite group of some 125 research university libraries, effective July 1. (Photo by Emily Grace McCall)

The ARL membership voted at its Spring 2026 Association Meeting to invite the MSU Libraries to join ARL, effective July 1. MSU 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.

Portrait of MSU President Mark E. Keenum — MSU President Mark E. Keenum (OPA Photo)

“Achieving 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 MSU Libraries leadership, faculty and staff achieve this goal,” MSU President Mark E. Keenum said. “We are proud to be Mississippi’s leading research university, and ARL status reflects and enhances the incredible research our students, faculty and staff are engaged in every day.”

Keenum noted ARL membership is the culmination of years of effort and investment on the part of many faculty, staff and friends of the MSU Libraries.

“Congratulations 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 MSU Libraries with their gifts,” Keenum said.

Portrait of MSU Libraries Dean Lis Keith — MSU Libraries Dean Lis Keith (Photo by Beth Wynn)

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.

MSU Provost and Executive Vice President David R. Shaw said the selection of the MSU Libraries for ARL status “is a validation of the caliber of research conducted daily at MSU and of the scientists and researchers who do that hard and relevant work.”

“MSU scholars depend on the quality of our library and our librarians to advance their research,” Shaw said. “ARL represents the best of the best in university research libraries.”

The vote to approve MSU’s 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 MSU’s candidacy for membership.

“We are pleased to welcome ��ɫ��Ƶ to membership in ARL,” said ARL President Melissa Just, dean of libraries, University of Southern California. “We look forward to their participation in the Association’s work.”

“The Association is made stronger by new members in the same way new members are made stronger by the Association,” said ARL Membership Committee Chair Stanley Wilder, dean of libraries, Louisiana State University.

“ARL membership affirms that MSU 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,” said MSU Libraries Dean Lis Keith, who formally accepted ARL membership on the university’s behalf.

“This recognition aligns directly with MSU’s Strategic Plan for Transformational Change, which calls on us to elevate research excellence, expand student success, deepen community engagement, and lead with innovation,” said Keith. “Our library faculty and staff embody these goals every day, and we are honored to join ARL’s distinguished consortium of research libraries and look forward to contributing to the collaborative work that drives meaningful and lasting impact.”

MSU Libraries advance the university’s 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, and global impact, MSU Libraries are a key partner in advancing research and scholarship at the land-grant university.

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