Faculty Senate Honors Librarian as a “Rocky Top Original”
The Faculty Senate also recently honored librarians Maggie Albro and Lizzie Cope with a “Heart and Soul” award. Read that story here.
The University of Tennessee Faculty Senate recently recognized librarian Joy Panigabutra-Roberts as a “Champion of Discovery.”
Anchalee “Joy” Panigabutra-Roberts, associate professor and head of Cataloging at the University of Tennessee Libraries, is recognized for her significant contributions to resource discovery, librarianship, and public service.
Panigabutra-Roberts joined the University of Tennessee in 2016 after holding academic positions in Egypt, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Canada. At UT, she oversees a team of five staff members responsible for creating and maintaining the metadata and catalog records that support the Libraries’ catalog and OneSearch system. These records form the foundation of how students, faculty, and researchers locate materials essential to teaching, learning, and scholarly work. Although the work of cataloging typically occurs behind the scenes, its role in supporting the university’s research mission is critical.
In addition to her administrative and operational responsibilities, Panigabutra-Roberts is an active scholar whose research centers on identity management and on equity, inclusion, and accessibility in catalog metadata. Her recent article, “Representing Researchers in the Library Linked Data Environment: A Case Study of ORCID Users at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville,” published in the Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication, contributes to evolving standards for information description and researcher representation.
Her service record includes extensive national and statewide involvement. Since 2017, Panigabutra-Roberts has served as coordinator of the Library of Congress’s Name Authority Cooperative Program (NACO) Tennessee Funnel, which establishes authoritative name records for individuals who have made notable contributions to Tennessee. This work ensures consistent identification of creators across libraries and enhances access to the state’s cultural and scholarly output. She has also served on the Executive Board of the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association, contributing to national efforts supporting representation and professional development. Currently, she serves as a Councilor-At-Large for the American Library Association (2019–2028).
Panigabutra-Roberts’ recognition as a Rocky Top Original underscores her leadership in advancing discovery, strengthening cataloging standards, and supporting both the university community and the broader field of librarianship.