Karen L. Harwood Papers

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: PP-037

Staff Only

Content Description

The collection includes two photo albums/scrapbooks of material related to the college, the Library Science Department, and the St. Catherine Library; letters, photos, and diaries related to the St. Kate's-sponsored European tour in 1956; and a variety of personal and professional correspondence, photographs, slides, and other papers. Also of note is material from Harwood's time as a Special Services Librarian in Oberammergau, Germany, in 1961.

Dates

circa 1945-2024

Biographical / Historical

Karen L. Harwood (1935-2023) was a 1957 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the College of St. Catherine. She continued her education at the University of Minnesota, earning her master's degree in library science in 1958. After working in various library positions at the University of Minnesota, Special Services Library in Oberammergau (Germany), Minnesota State Department of Education, and Brainerd (Minnesota) Senior High School, Harwood returned to St. Kate's in 1972 as a faculty member in the Library Science department. From 1982-2008, she was Head of Technical Services in the St. Catherine Library. She led the Technical Services Department through decades of tumultuous change during which she and her staff learned to apply many new technologies, not only to automate the work of managing the library collection, but to improve access for library users. Many of Harwood's direct reports remarked that she was the best supervisor they had ever had. Harwood was also a champion of library cooperation, contributing valuable service to the CLIC library consortium during its long history. Harwood was awarded emeritus status by the college when she retired in 2008.