State Librarian Stephen Parks, an adjunct professor at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM), was elected to his third term earlier this month during a joint session of the Mississippi House of Representatives and the Mississippi Senate. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann administered the oath of office to Parks in the House Chambers at the Capitol.
Parks, an attorney and educator, has served as State Librarian since January 2016. He oversees the State Library, commonly known as the State Law Library, a specialized public library which provides legal research materials for the judiciary, state agencies, lawyers, students, and the public.
He also serves as an adjunct professor in USM’s School of Library and Information Science, focusing on government resources and publications. Students in his course study and learn methods of locating and analyzing available government information.
Embarking on his third term as State Librarian, Parks noted, “My main objective is to continue providing the same level of service that we always have and be known as a place where one can readily access the foundations of Mississippi law. One big objective is to maintain and preserve our older materials for future users. Efforts are underway to digitize materials, particularly from the 19th Century, and make those available online through partnerships with other law libraries.”
A native of La Grange, N.C., Parks earned a Bachelor of Science degree in political science, magna cum laude, from East Carolina University in 2006. He earned a law degree, magna cum laude, from MC Law in 2010, and a Master of Library and Information Science degree from USM in 2013.
https://www.usm.edu/news/2024/release/stephen-parks-state-librarian.php
