UT Libraries Receives LEAD Award

(Knoxville, Tennessee. January 22, 2025) — The University of Tennessee Libraries has received the 2025 Library Excellence in Access and Diversity (LEAD) Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine, the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education.

The LEAD Award honors academic libraries’ programs and initiatives that encourage and support inclusive excellence and belonging across their campus. UT Libraries will be featured, along with 35 other recipients, in the March 2025 issue of Insight Into Diversity magazine.

“UT Libraries is honored to receive this recognition,” said Dean of Libraries Steve Smith. “And we’re proud of our efforts — over many years — to foster a sense of community and freedom of inquiry on campus.”

Student tries out a virtual reality headset at the 2023 Big Orange STEM Saturday.

Assistant Dean Thura Mack, who leads UT Libraries’ belonging and engagement initiatives, noted some of the programs that won recognition from Insight Into Diversity:

“Our annual Big Orange STEM Saturday brings area high school students to the library to learn about STEM careers and to expose them to university life. Most of these students from underrepresented communities would be the first in their families to attend college.”

She added: “The Libraries sponsors events that highlight different cultures or facilitate conversations on difficult topics. Our collection development policies bring visibility to underrepresented voices. And by providing assistive technologies and negotiating with publishers of electronic resources, UT Libraries assures that our resources remain accessible to students with disabilities.”

Current UT engineering students pose for a group photo at the 2023 Big Orange STEM Saturday to network with visiting high school students. — Current UT engineering students joined the 2023 Big Orange STEM Saturday to network with visiting high school students.

Tyvi Small, UT’s vice chancellor for access and engagement, praised the Libraries’ engagement and outreach strategies, saying “The library is helping us build a stronger, more accessible, more community-engaged university where everyone feels valued and respected.”

Insight Into Diversity magazine is the leader in recognizing inclusive excellence in higher education through its many prestigious awards.

“We know that many academic libraries are not always recognized for their dedication to diversity, inclusion, and access” said Lenore Pearlstein, owner and publisher of Insight Into Diversity. “We are proud to honor these college and university libraries as role models for other institutions of higher education.”

For more information about the 2025 Library Excellence in Access and Diversity (LEAD) Award, visit insightintodiversity.com.