Colleen Dougherty Anderson (1955-2026)
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Publication Date
7-14-2026
City
Smithfield
Keywords
Colleen Anderson; Bryant University; librarians
7-14-2026
Smithfield
Colleen Anderson; Bryant University; librarians
Comments
Department: Hodgson Memorial Library and Douglas and Judith Krupp Library
Titles: Part-time Business and Economics Librarian, (2008-2017)
Assistant Librarian and Head of Reference Services, (1994-2008)
Head of Reference Projects, (1998-2005)
Reference Librarian, (1994-2008)
Part-time Reference Assistant, (1988-1993)
Retired from Bryant: Retired from Bryant completely in 2017.
Retired from part-time Business and Economics Librarian in 2015.
Retired from Head of Reference in 2008.
Educational Background: B.A., Cornell University, 1977
M.L.I.S., University of Rhode Island, 1993
MBA, Bryant University, 2005
Professional Experience:
Director, Millville Free Public Library, (2016-2026)
Part-time Business and Economics Librarian, Bryant University, (2008 – 2017)
Head of Reference Services, Bryant University, (1998-2008)
Adjunct Professor in Management, Bryant University, (2011-2016)
Assistant Librarian in Reference Services, Bryant University, (1994-2008)
Part-time Reference Assistant, Bryant College, (1988 – 1993)
Part-time Reference and Circulation Assistant, Bozeman Public Library, (1985 – 1988)
Reference and Reserve Collection Assistant, University of Virginia, (1978 – 1985)
Professional Associations: American Library Association
Montana Library Association
Headwaters Library Association
Rhode Island Library Association
Junior Members Round Table of RILA
New England Library Association
Special Libraries Association
President, Association of College and Research Libraries, New England Chapter (ACRL/NEC), 2004-2005
Chair, ACRL/NEC Business Librarians’ Interest Group, 1995-97 and 2002-03.
Chair, ACRL/NEC Information Technology Interest Group, 200-01.
Publications: “True Collaboration: A Library Presence on Blackboard.” ACRL/NEC Special Conference Issue, vol. 1, no. 1, 2006.
“E-book Technology” ACRL/NEC Information Technology Interest Group, January/February 2001.
“Journals of the Century in Business”, Serials Librarian, 2000, vol. 39, issue 2, 59-86.
Anderson, C. and Morahan-Martin, J. “Information and Misinformation Online: Recommendations for Facilitating Accurate Mental Health Information Retrieval and Evaluation.” Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 2000, vol. 3, issue 5, 731-746.
“Full-Text: How it’s Changing Our Lives.” CRIARL Newsletter, vol. 15, no. 1, 1996, 1-3 & 6.
Anderson, C. and Cameron, C. B. “Acquisitions and Collection Development in Business Libraries.” The Basic Business Library: Core Resources, edited by Bernard S. Schlessinger (Phoenix: The Oryx Press, 1995), 3rd Edition, 272-282.
“Bonds: Locating and Understanding Information on Long-Term Debt.” The Alert Collector, editby by Tony Stankus, RG, Reference Quarterly, vol. 33, no. 4, Summer 1994, 451-459.
“Off the Shelf” articles for the Archway, Bryant student newspaper.
Book reviews for Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries.
About: Colleen Dougherty Anderson was a Bryant University Librarian for over 20 years. Colleen was an avid, lifelong student who earned a Bachelor's degree from Cornell University in 1977, a Master's in Library Science from the University of Rhode Island in 1993, and a Master's in Business Administration from Bryant University in 2005. She delighted in sharing her love of literacy with family, friends, and colleagues, believing deeply in the power of reading to educate and inspire.
That journey began in 1978 when she worked as a Reference and Reserve Collection Assistant at the University of Virginia’s Colgate Darden Graduate School of Business Library. She worked there for several years until she moved to Montana and began a job as a Part-Time Reference and Circulation Assistant at the Bozeman Public Library. Upon moving to Rhode Island, Colleen began her career at Bryant College as a part-time reference assistant in 1988. She started work at Bryant on Sundays to cover the expanded hours of 12 pm – 12 am. She maintained this part-time position until 1993, when she earned her Master’s in Library Science, and became an assistant librarian for reference services. In 1998, Colleen became the Head of Reference Services, a position she retained until her retirement in 2008. She semi-retired in 2008, remaining as a part-time Business and Economics Librarian until 2017. In 2017 she retired from Bryant University but was still an on-call librarian for the Douglas and Judith Krupp Library, while also being the Director of the Millville Public Library in Millville, MA. After completing her MBA from Bryant University, she began teaching at Bryant as an adjunct professor of Management. She taught at Bryant until July of 2016, which is when she started as the Director of the Millville Free Public Library.
As a reference librarian, Colleen answered business questions in all areas of business; developed subject guides in management, marketing, accounting, finance, entrepreneurship and industry research, and became familiar with government sources of business information. She was able to locate company and industry information, as well as developed class modules to serve the information needs of business and international business students. Throughout her career, Colleen took courses and workshops to stay informed about the business world and the new technology being used in libraries.
Colleen was an active member of several professional organizations such as the Rhode Island Library Association and the Association of College & Research Libraries/New England. She was the President of the Association of College & Research Libraries/New England from 2004-2005 and was the chair of the ACRL/NEC Information Technology Interest Group from 1999-2000 and also the chair of the ACRL/NEC Business Librarians’ Interest Group from 2002-2003. Colleen had several publications and presentations about business librarianship. Colleen was a hard-working individual who was continually praised by work colleagues as being “thoroughly professional and always willing to help” and someone who “possess[ed] an uncommon innate drive to deliver excellence in all she did.”