Congratulations to Mathew Swan for receiving the first University of Missouri Libraries Visionary Leadership Award!
Mathew served on the University Libraries Student Advisory Council, both as a representative and ultimately, chair of the council. With his role on the council, Mathew provided important input to the Libraries about the needs and concerns of students in regards to library spaces and services. His participation in two student vision projects, including trips to academic libraries in other states, was vital in creating student vision documents that are a guiding force for student-focused goals in the Libraries’ strategic planning.
Quoting a letter written by the previous council advisor, “in addition to his library advocacy, his work as director of Tiger Pantry has made it significantly easier for the campus community to access quality food. Through his work with the Libraries, OER, and Tiger Pantry, Matt has consistently and effectively broken down barriers in order to improve student access to resources. Often working quietly behind the scenes, students may not know just how much Matt has done for them. And, the kind of guy he is, Matt probably doesn’t mind that they don’t know.”
We are thankful for Mathew’s leadership during his time at Mizzou. We will miss him dearly and know the world will benefit from his capacity to lead from a place of empathy and dedication to equity.
