Kimberly Kennedy Awarded Tenure, Promotion

Posted on September 4, 2025 by Jamie Saragossi

We are very pleased to share that Ms. Kimberly Kennedy has been awarded tenure and promotion to the rank of Associate Librarian. Ms. Kennedy joined Stony Brook University Libraries in 2019 as Discovery and Access Librarian, and now serves as Director of Content Management, where she oversees collection development, acquisitions, cataloging and metadata. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Washington and Lee University (2015) and a Master of Library and Information Science from Rutgers University (2017). In 2025, she received an MA in History from SUNY Brockport. Ms. Kennedy is currently pursuing an MS in Data Science and Analytics at SUNY Polytechnic Institute.

Kimberly Kennedy, Director of Content Management

Throughout her time at Stony Brook, Ms. Kennedy has made significant contributions to library operations and academic support. She has led innovations in e-resource management, streamlined workflows, and strengthened access to collections, ensuring that faculty, students, and researchers have reliable and equitable access to information. Her leadership in patron-driven acquisitions, vendor partnerships, and system migrations reflects her ability to balance strategic vision with practical implementation. Ms. Kennedy’s commitment to accessibility and inclusion is evident in her collection-building practices and in her scholarship, which bridges librarianship with interdisciplinary research in areas such as fan studies.

Ms. Kennedy has developed an impressive record of scholarship, publishing and presenting widely in areas that advance both academic librarianship and interdisciplinary inquiry. Her co-authored works in the International Journal of Librarianship and Charleston Conference Proceedings examine equity in collection development and user-centered acquisitions models. She has also published on workflow optimization in the Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship and on fandom information practices in Transformative Works and Cultures and Proceedings of the Document Academy. Her research on “fanbinding” as a preservation practice and on the cultural and economic dimensions of fan communities has garnered attention for its innovative perspective on information systems and media ownership. Ms. Kennedy is currently conducting research on the viability and sustainability of transformative agreements for academic libraries. She is also working with colleagues to provide an environmental scan of the availability and pricing models of AI tools from content providers. She has shared her work at major venues including the Charleston Conference, SUNYLA, and the Fan Studies Network, contributing valuable insights to both professional and scholarly communities.

Beyond her operational and scholarly work, Ms. Kennedy has been deeply engaged in service at the library, university, and SUNY system levels. At Stony Brook, she has served as Secretary of the Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committee, a member of the Senate Library Services Committee, and an active participant in search committees and working groups that have shaped the Libraries’ strategic direction. Her SUNY-wide service includes contributions to the SUNY Libraries DEI Advisory Group, the SUNYConnect eBook Task Force, and leadership of the Teaching/Information Literacy/Outreach Subgroup. Regionally, she has worked with the Long Island Library Resources Council (LILRC) Resource Sharing Committee to advance collaborative collection planning. These efforts reflect her commitment to strengthening both local and systemwide library services.

This promotion and award of continuing appointment recognizes Ms. Kennedy’s accomplishments to date as well as her continued promise as a leader in academic librarianship. Her scholarship, leadership, and commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility underscore her excellence as an academic librarian and her impact on the university community. Please join us in congratulating Ms. Kennedy on this well-deserved achievement.