January 13, 2012

 

Contacts:

Brent Roberts, MSUB Library, 657-1655
Dan Carter, University Relations, 657-2269

 

Brent Roberts has been working with the library at MSU Billings since 2000.

 

MSU BILLINGS NEWS SERVICES — Brent Roberts, director of library services at Montana State University Billings, was recently appointed to the Montana State Library Commission.

 

Brent Roberts

The 40-year-old Roberts was appointed by Montana Commissioner of Higher Education Sheila Stearns and started his term this month. The commission is composed of five members appointed by the governor and a librarian from the Montana University System appointed by the commissioner of higher education to represent academic interests. The state superintendent of public instruction is also on the commission.

 

The commission supports the state library while also providing assistance and advice to public libraries in the state. The state library works to ensure citizens have access to information created by the state government, strengthens community and school libraries and makes sure citizens with disabilities have access to library resources.

 

Roberts, who worked for a time as a reference librarian at Montana State University Northern in Havre, has been at MSU Billings since 2000. He was named associate director of the library in 2005 and director in 2010. He did his undergraduate work in history at Brigham Young University and has master’s degrees in library and information sciences from the University of Washington and public relations from MSU Billings.

 

Eager to advocate for the vital role of libraries in society today, Roberts said he is honored to be a part of the statewide commission and represent academic interests related to research and information literacy.

 

“I really believe in information literacy and it all starts with school libraries,” Roberts said. “Those institutions do great work and all of society benefits from school libraries, community public libraries and academic libraries.”

 

Through a statewide network of resources and a data, the state library also plays a valuable role for communities large and small, he said.


For more information on the state library, go to http://msl.mt.gov/

 

PHOTO ABOVE: Brent Roberts at the MSUB Library