library staff

Library Associate Dean Patrick Yott Retires After 15 Years

Patrick Yott
Patrick Yott

The Northeastern University Library is bidding a bittersweet farewell to Associate Dean for Digital Infrastructure Patrick Yott, who is retiring at the end of the year.

Yott has served the Northeastern University Library for the past 15 years and the imprint he leaves will be long-lasting. An expert on digital scholarship, he founded and led a number of related library departments and spearheaded several initiatives that advanced the state of the art in applying digital technology to academic endeavors.

“Patrick has been a leader when it comes to the way that innovative technology can improve the nature of research,” said Dean of the Library Dan Cohen. “He has envisioned a major evolution in library practice, and helped shape the direction of digital scholarship at Northeastern University.”

Yott oversaw Library Technology Services, the Digital Scholarship Group, Research Data Services, Digital Production Services, and adjacent staff and projects. He also spearheaded the creation of the new Centers for Digital Scholarship as a place where new forms of scholarship from many subject areas can thrive and interact together.

Patrick Yott and Provost David Madigan at a retirement reception

He also directed a number of major grant-funded initiatives focused on using digital technology to advance research and teaching, including funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Mellon Foundation, and Sloan Foundation.

Yott previously worked at the University of Virginia and Brown University.

“Patrick will be greatly missed, both professionally and personally,” Cohen said. “The way he united digital infrastructure, library processes, and scholarly thinking was unique, and led to many new and good ideas.”

With his retirement, Yott is eager to focus on two of his passions: photography and fly fishing. “We wish him all the best in his next stage,” Cohen added.

New Librarian Dedicated to Improving Library Accessibility

A smiling person with long brown hair and glasses wearing a white button-down shirt and a dress with avocado cats stands outside.

Hello! I’m Anaya Jones and I’m very excited to join Northeastern University as the Accessibility & Online Learning Librarian.

I became interested in scalable information literacy instruction at Mary Baldwin University. Building on that knowledge, I joined Southern New Hampshire University. Here at Northeastern, I’m joining an established team of online learning librarians who support students around the world. Depending on where you are and what you’re studying, you just might see me in a workshop, a research guide, or in your Canvas course.

A big part of my personal philosophy is that accessibility plays an integral role in librarianship and education. Our world is largely designed for non-disabled people, and this creates barriers for folks with disabilities. Access to information and services are at the core of the work librarians do in a wide range of roles and contexts. It’s important to me that our dedication to access extends to accessibility. Contributing to an accessible world is the ethical thing to do — but accessibility doesn’t happen accidentally. I’m at the Northeastern University Library to collaboratively remove accessibility barriers.

Everyone shares the responsibility to increase accessibility. Think about the things you can do to make your corner of the world more accessible:

  • Use Microsoft’s Accessibility Checker in Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint
  • Make your social media posts accessible by:
    • including alt-text for images
    • avoiding overusing emojis, symbols, or capitalized letters
    • use CamelCase for hashtags
    • edit auto-generated alt-text and captions
    • use inclusive language and gender-neutral pronouns
  • When working on new projects, ask about access for people with disabilities. How does your app work with a screen reader? Can you navigate that website with a keyboard? How will a person in a wheelchair access that new building? You don’t have to know everything to ask good questions.
Two adorable brown, white, and black dogs sit together in a blue chair, looking ready for you to pet them
Mordecai and Moxxi

This isn’t all there is to increasing accessibility, but it will help! If you experience barriers with Northeastern University Library resources or tools, let us know using the Report a Problem form.

Thanks for reading this far! I hail from Southern California and also lived in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley for 10 years. I earned my Master of Library and Information Science degree from Drexel University. Last year, I earned my International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) certification. I spend all my free time thinking about and petting my ridiculously adorable dogs Mordecai and Moxxi.

Staff News: Donna Kennedy and Brian Greene

Donna Kennedy has assumed a new role within the Research & Instruction Department in order to increase support and research assistance for the School of Education, as it expands its graduate certificate, degree, and distance learning programs. Donna has held many positions at the University over her 34 years of service. She has relocated to 270 Snell Library and retained her phone extension, 617-373-3197. Brian Greene has been named Head of Access Services. Most recently he was Head of Resource Sharing & Assistant Head Librarian in Access Services. Brian is now a member of the Library Management Team. His office is in 130 Snell Library (behind the Circulation Desk) and he can be reached at 617-373-2401.