Randy Souther

Full-Time Faculty

Biography

Randy Souther has spent more than three decades at Gleeson Library, first focusing on reference technology: overseeing the development of the library’s online infrastructure for reference services and content, and including 20 years as the library webmaster.

He currently serves as a reference librarian, and liaison to the Architecture, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, Kineseology, Mathematics, and Physics departments. His past liaison assignments have included Accounting, Business Administration, English, Finance, Marketing, Modern & Classical Languages, and Writing MFA.

He has spent 30 years studying and creating resources for studying the author Joyce Carol Oates, and more recently he is focusing on issues around open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement in higher education (as a member of Heterodox Academy); as well as issues around academic freedom, free speech, and institutional neutrality in academia (as a member of FIRE: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, and of the Association of Library Professionals).

Education

• Master of Library and Information Studies, University of California at Berkeley


• BA in English, University of California at Davis

Prior Experience

• Head of Reference and Research Services, Gleeson Library


• Head of Access Services, Gleeson Library


• Reference Librarian, San Francisco Public Library

Awards

• USF 2000 Team Merit Award

Selected Publications

• Souther, Randy. Celestial Timepiece: A Joyce Carol Oates Patchwork. 1995–present.


• Souther, Randy. The Glass Ark: A Joyce Carol Oates Bibliography. 1995–present.


• Souther, Randy, editor. Bearing Witness: Joyce Carol Oates Studies. 2014–present.


• Souther, Randy. “The Cost of ‘Free Black Thought.’” Curiosity, Controversy, and Intellectual Courage: Proceedings of the HxLibraries Symposium, Sarah Hartman-Caverly, editor. Spring, 2024.


• “Q&A w/ Stig Björkman, Lisanne Skyler & Randy Souther (Joyce Carol Oates: Body in Service of Mind documentary).” YouTube, uploaded by Jewish Film Institute, March 11, 2022.


• Souther, Randy. “Celestial Timepiece: Randy Souther entretien avec Caroline Marquette et Tanya Tromble-Giraud.” Joyce Carol Oates, edited by Caroline Marquette, and Tanya Tromble-Giraud, Éditions de L’Herne, 2017.


• Souther, Randy. “Melding Literature and Technology to Showcase and American Classic” University of San Francisco Magazine, Spring 2001.