Scott Dennis

About

As the Library's subject specialist for Philosophy, and coordinator of the Hatcher Graduate Library Reference Collection, I purchase materials in support of the research and instructional programs of the Department of Philosophy, and manage the ready reference materials housed at the Information and Reference Center and in the Reference Reading Room of the Grad Library.  I am also Coordinator of Core Electronic Resources, responsible for the selection and management of general reference and broadly interdisciplinary online resources licensed by the University Library.

Background

Before returning to the University of Michigan as Humanities Librarian in June 1997, I was Reference/Collection Management Librarian at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for six years. From 1987 to 1991, I managed the U-M Philosophy Department's Tanner Library in Angell Hall. I've also held positions at the University of California-Berkeley's Music Library, the Chicago International Film Festival, and the Art History Slide Library at the University of Chicago. I have a Bachelor's in Philosophy from the University of Chicago, a Master's in English from the University of California-Berkeley, and a Master's in Library and Information Studies from the University of Michigan. I wrote a bachelor's thesis on Hans Reichenbach's philosophy of science, and a master's thesis on Proust's influence on contemporary American gay novelists. My personal interests include classical music and opera, theater, writing, and ice skating.

Responsibilities

I am a member of the Graduate Library Reference Department, contributing to instruction, programs, and resource development across the humanities fields, and providing ready reference assistance at the Information and Reference Center of the Graduate Library and via the Ask A Librarian! instant message reference service several hours each week. I serve as Chair of the Core Electronic Resources Team (or Core E-Team), and the General Reference & Popular Press E-Team, two of eight e-teams responsible for selection and management of library electronic resources. I also serve as an editor of the University Library's Search Tools portal.