BYU–Hawaii recently welcomed Michael Aldrich as the new library director for the university. He and his wife, Emma, come from Carrollton, Georgia, and have eight children. Previously, Michael served as an Associate Professor/Instruction Librarian and Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of West Georgia.
When Michael was interviewed for his current position, he was particularly impressed with the dedication and diversity of the students here. He wanted to come to an LDS university to have the opportunity to serve and teach in a church environment.
During his youth, Michael lived in Long Island, New York. He attended Brigham Young University for his undergraduate work. He served an LDS mission in Germany and was present when the Berlin Wall came down in 1990. After returning from his mission, he married Emma who is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana. Later, he earned his master’s degree in Library Information at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. When asked what his favorite interests were, reading was near the top of the list after family and cooking. “This is just part of being a librarian,” he said.
In the short time that Michael has been here, he has quickly come to love the students and the opportunities that are available. He understands that students are the priority for library operations, and has made it a goal as Library Director to put them first. His first task is to evaluate all the information currently available and determine what is useful, needed, and applicable to student learning. He noted that there is more information available now in the world for students than any other time in history; therefore, he’s excited to dedicate his time to ensure current and effective library offerings and aid in the development of students’ minds at BYU–Hawaii.
Photo by Monique Saenz.