Daina’s cat, Paprika
Say Hello to Daina Dickman, Social Sciences Librarian!
We are excited to welcome Daina Dickman as our new Social Sciences Librarian! Daina is your go-to faculty contact for everything related to Public Health, Criminology & Criminal Justice, Politics & Global Affairs, Public Administration, and Urban Studies & Planning.
With an impressive background—including a leadership role at the National Library of Medicine in Seattle and serving as Scholarly Communication Librarian at CSU Sacramento—Daina is ready to dive in and support our research community. Off the clock, she’s a live-music fan, an avid rockhound, a native plant enthusiast, and a proud cat parent to her feline friend, Paprika.
2026 Butler Award for Library Service
We are thrilled to announce that Joan Petit has received the Butler Award for excellence in library faculty service! Since 2009, Joan has been a vital resource for PSU, serving as the trusted research liaison for English, History, Judaic Studies, and the University Honors College.
Congratulations, Joan, and thank you for your incredible service to our campus community!
New Murals Coming to the Library!
If you’ve ever stood in the Library stairwell, you know it gets a lot of traffic—but it’s also a bit bare. At the beginning of June, the Library hosted a workshop with mural artist Nicky Kriara where participants brainstormed ideas for transforming our central stairwell into a vibrant, illustrated pathway that helps people orient themselves within the space.. Check out our blog post about this project and what it took to make it happen.
Open Education is a High-Impact Practice
A new report formally recognizes Open Educational Resources (OER) as a High-Impact Practice. The report’s findings connect these freely available course materials to positive student success outcomes. The Library is proud to champion this work, and affordable education, by preparing to relaunch our PDXOpen grant program in Spring 2027. Read more in our blog post!
Family Friendly Study Room
Did you know the Library has a study room that only students accompanied by children can check out? Learn more about what’s in the Family Study Room and make a reservation!
Celebrating Pride
Find a curated collection of queer novels, comics, research, and history on our 2nd floor book display!