By Ann Wilson
Meriam Library Communications
California State University, Chico
A library is, by definition, a collection: books and broadsheets, databases and DVDs, graphic novels and games, student theses, local history, and the occasional object that refuses easy classification.
It seems fitting, then, that Meriam Library’s new dean, Colleen Harris, is a collector.
Harris, who began her role in early July, has accumulated an impressive collection of academic degrees: two bachelor’s degrees, four completed master’s degrees, another master’s degree in progress, and two doctoral degrees. Her studies have taken her from international relations and economics at Centre College to library science at the University of Kentucky; poetry at Spalding University; learning and leadership at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga; mythological studies at Pacifica Graduate Institute; nonprofit management at CSU San Bernardino; and, now, English at the University of Texas Permian Basin.
It is a remarkable course of study, but Harris does not present it as a ladder climbed so much as a curiosity pursued. Each degree offers another way of understanding how people make meaning: through stories, institutions, myths, art, public service, and the often messy realities of daily life.
That same spirit is visible upon introduction. Harris’ tattoos are their own collection, as are the books and images of tattoo art she enjoys. At home, she is also surrounded by crochet yarn, jigsaw puzzles, vividly colored walls, horror books and films, and an ever-changing selection of small-batch indie nail polish. She is, by her own account, a homebody with a penchant for Costco hot dogs.
Before coming to Chico, Harris served as dean of the Sue & Radcliffe Killam Library at Texas A&M International University in Laredo. Her move halfway across the country to Meriam Library is both a professional homecoming and a personal one. Harris spent nearly a decade as a librarian and library leader at CSU Channel Islands, sung back to California by a public-higher-education environment that aligns with her vision for academic libraries.
Her time in Texas also sharpened that vision. Across the country, changes in law and public policy have shaped what libraries and colleges are able to teach, collect, display, and discuss. For Harris, these shifts underscore the importance of academic libraries as spaces where students can encounter a broad range of ideas, pursue research freely, and develop the critical habits that make higher education meaningful.
Harris was raised on Long Island in a blue-collar neighborhood, but her education and career have carried her across disparate locales. She has worked as higher-education staff, faculty, librarian, and administrator. This experiential collection illuminates a leadership approach attentive to both institutional purpose and the people who make an institution run.
She is also an accomplished writer. Harris has published poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction widely, and her poetry collections and chapbooks include The Light Becomes Us, Toothache in the Bone, The Girl and the Gifts, These Terrible Sacraments, That Reckless Sound, Some Assembly Required, and God in My Throat: The Lilith Poems. Three additional poetry collections are forthcoming: The Discipline of Drowning, winner of the 2025 Broken Tribe Press Poetry Award; Babylon Songs; and Pain Scale: Poems of Chronic Illness.
Her creative work is the warp and weft of her life as a library leader. Both require close reading, intellectual generosity, and an openness to the stories people bring with them. Harris is also beginning work on a book about horror films for a university press -- a project suited to a person interested in the things that unsettle us, draw us together, and reveal what lies beneath the surface.
At Meriam Library, Harris joins a campus community already full of stories. The library’s collections hold the record of what has been learned, imagined, argued, and made. Its new dean brings a collection of her own, and, perhaps more importantly, a curiosity about the connections still waiting to be made possible.
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Meriam Musing: Odd Collections
Strange and ambitious collections from around the world.
Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb
Ordinary objects donated after breakups (like an axe, a toaster, a wedding dress) each paired with an anonymous story of lost love.
La Isla de las Muñecas (Island of the Dolls) in Mexico City
Located among the canals south of central Mexico City, the island is covered with thousands of weathered, broken, and sometimes dismembered dolls hanging from trees and buildings. The collection was created over decades by Don Julián Santana Barrera, who reportedly believed he needed to appease the spirit of a drowned girl. The haunting story is local legend, but the dolls, and the unsettling atmosphere, are very real.
Icelandic Phallological Museum in Reykjavík
Precisely what it sounds like: a scientific collection of penises and penile parts from Icelandic land and sea mammals, with a distinctly deadpan museum tone.
Museum of Bad Art in Massachusetts
A lovingly curated collection of artworks judged too spectacularly misguided to be ignored. Its motto: “Art too bad to be ignored.”
The Vatican’s Relic Collections in Vatican City
Among the world’s most historically and spiritually significant collections: reliquaries, fragments associated with saints, and centuries of devotional objects—often ornate enough to rival crown jewels.
Museum of Jurassic Technology in Los Angeles
A famously peculiar museum blending fact, folklore, art, obscure science, and deadpan invention. Visitors are often unsure where documentation ends and imaginative storytelling begins.
Sulabh International Museum of Toilets in New Delhi
A surprisingly fascinating history of sanitation, with toilet designs and chamber pots spanning many eras and countries. It is funny at first glance—and genuinely illuminating once you look closer.
British Museum’s “Museum of the World” Collections in London
Not strange in a novelty sense, but staggering in scope: objects from across human history, including the Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies, Assyrian reliefs, and artifacts from cultures worldwide.
Guinness Collection of Beer Advertising & Brewing Memorabilia in Dublin
The Guinness Storehouse includes historic brewing tools, advertising art, bottles, barrels, and the whole mythic visual world built around one of the most recognizable beers on earth.
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There's so much going on . . .
All events held in Meriam Library's Innovation Lab on the 2nd floor
Getting Started with 3D Printing
Wednesday, September 16, 11-11:50 am
Did you know Meriam Library has four (yes, four!) 3D printers available for use by the Chico State community? Join our amazing 3D printer expert Brandon Root for a brief overview on how to get started on a project.
Taught by Brandon Root for Innov8
How To Write a Research Question
Thursday, September 17, 2-3 pm
Writing a research question can often be the most difficult part of starting a research paper. Join this librarian-led workshop to learn the ins and outs of research questions and identify some helpful sources for research topic selection.
Taught by Librarian Irene Korber
Container Gardening Workshop
Thursday, September 17, 3-4 pm
The Seed Library in collaboration with the UC Master Gardeners of Butte County will offer tips and tricks on how to plant, grow, and sustain plants in containers. You'll leave not only with useful information but with seeds and seedlings, too! cases, finding secondary sources, and more.
Taught by Librarian Skylar Cotnam
Introduction to WestLaw
Tuesday, September 22, 11-11:50 am
Legal research can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be! Join our Introduction to WestLaw workshop to learn how to navigate one of the premier legal databases. This session will cover formulating searches, navigating cases, finding secondary sources, and more.
Taught by Librarian Skylar Cotnam
Experiment with Hidden Contour Drawing
Monday, September 28, 4-5 pm
Take an hour out of your day to learn about drawing by doing some hidden (you don't look at the paper) contour drawings. This type of drawing activity increases your hand-eye coordination and is a simple way to make interesting drawings. You can do them anywhere, anytime! We will talk briefly about pencils and mark making and then do a series of hidden contour drawings that are sure to entertain and delight. If you think you can’t draw, join us and let us prove you wrong! With a paper and a pencil anyone can make an original work of art. This class is taught by Michelle Ott of the Art Department, who recently published a book featuring her drawing and writing talents entitled Outer Space is Closer than Antarctica -- check it out (it's fantastic)!
Taught by Michelle Ott for Innov8
Annotated Bibliographies
Tuesday, September 29, 10-10:30 am
What information do I include in a citation? Does the period go before or after the quotation mark? In this workshop, attendees will learn to break down APA citations to make it easier to finish that last step before turning in a paper and have an opportunity to practice writing a citation.
Taught by Librarian Marc Langston
Time Out for Trivia!
Games start at 5 pm
Gather your brainy besties and bring your brightest bits of knowledge to the soon-to-be world famous Meriam Library Trivia Nights! Teams of 3 to 5 can come ready-made, or arrive at 4:45 pm and we’ll help you find your fellow fact-finders. Each night features six rounds of eight questions, plus prizes and serious bragging rights for the winning team. Costumes are always welcome -- though never required.
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September 30
Nothing but '90s
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October 28
Terrifying Trivia
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December 2
Sports and Space
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Literature Reviews
Wednesday, September 30, 10-10:30 am
This workshop will show you how to write a literature review by dividing literature creation into three parts: Introduction, Body, and Conclusion. Examples of literature reviews will also be presented.
Taught by Librarian Marc Langston
Introduction to Industry Research
Thursday, October 8, 1-1:45 pm
Have you ever wondered how much of the market Apple controls? Or what the future holds for oil & gas companies? This workshop will answer these questions and more by walking you through all the resources available at Meriam Library, and providing various tips and tricks to get the most out of your industry research.
Taught by Librarian Skylar Cotnam
Crochet Pumpkin Coaster
Monday, October 12, 4-5 pm
Create a crochet pumpkin coaster to celebrate the season! A basic understanding of how to single crochet will make the work a little easier, but it is not necessary! Crochet pro Erica Rix will teach you the "magic ring" and Meriam Library will provide the yarn and crochet hooks! A pumpkin coaster -- so cute -- you know you want to try this!
Taught by Erica Rix for Innov8
Introduction to Zotero
Tuesday, October 13, 10-10:45 am
Learn the basics of Zotero -- a free, easy-to-use tool that lets you collect, organize, annotate, cite, and share research. Zotero connects with your web browser to download sources. Bring your laptop so you can download the tool!
Taught by Librarian Michelle Mussuto
APA Citations
Wednesday, October 21, 11-11:50 am
What information do I include in a citation? Does the period go before or after the parentheses? This workshop will provide attendees with an understanding of APA citations to make it easier to finish that last step before turning in a paper, and will provide an opportunity to practice writing a citation.
Taught by Librarian Irene Korber
Wingspan Game Night
Wednesday, October 21, 4-6 pm
Wingspan is a popular, award-winning board game where players act as bird enthusiasts trying to attract the "best" birds to their nature preserves. Chris Paintner will help explain the rules and then set you up in groups of five. Arrive in a flock or fly solo -- we'll get you in a game!
Hosted by Chris Paintner for Innov8
Budget-Savvy Student's Guide to Meriam Library Resources
Thursday, October 22, 1-1:30 pm
Save money and make the most of Meriam Library! Discover free resources available to students, from course materials and research tools to technology, streaming videos and academic support. Learn what’s available, where to find it, and how the library can help you stretch your student budget.
Taught by Librarian Pam Kruger
Mexican Sacred Hearts
Monday, October 26, 4-5 pm
In this seasonal edition of Innov8 we will be making a Mexican sacred heart (el Corazón Sagrado). The Mexican sacred heart is a powerful folk art and religious symbol representing divine love, healing, grief, and deep devotion. Blending Spanish Catholic heritage with bold indigenous color palettes, it is a cornerstone of Mexican culture, appearing on home altars, jewelry, textiles, and murals. We will use small wooden heart frames that can be decorated with pre-printed Mexican art, acrylic paint, rhinestones, glitter, and milagros (tiny metal charms in various shapes to represent specific prayers or gratitude for answered miracles). All supplies will be provided. ¡Todos son bienvenidos!
Taught by Ann Wilson for Innov8
Introduction to Company & Financial Information
Thursday, October 29, 10-10:45 am
Whether you are looking for the most recent annual report for Chipotle, or the date Xbox was acquired by Microsoft, this workshop will help you sift through the noise to find reliable information on public and private companies.
Taught by Librarian Skylar Cotnam
Game Miniature Painting
Monday, November 2, 4-6 pm
Bring in your own game miniature or choose from our collection of 3D printed pieces to paint with our specialized highly pigmented acrylic colors. Chris Paintner will give hints and tricks on how to bring your pieces to life for an immersive and visually compelling gaming table!
Taught by Chris Paintner for Innov8
APA Citations
Tuesday, November 3, 10-10:50 am
What information do I include in a citation? Does the period go before or after the parentheses? This workshop will provide attendees with an understanding of APA citations to make it easier to finish that last step before turning in a paper, and will provide an opportunity to practice writing a citation.
Taught by Librarian Irene Korber
Glass Cabochon Magnets
Monday, November 9, 4-5 pm
The holidays are coming and you know that means gifts! Crafting with 1" clear glass cabochons (flat-backed, convex domes) is a versatile way to make custom jewelry, fridge magnets, and keepsakes. By magnifying images, patterns, or paint placed underneath them, they create a polished, three-dimensional look with minimal effort. We will supply the cabochons, magnets, paint, and glue for your piece. If you have something special, like a photo or printed design, bring it in!
Taught by Ann Wilson for Innov8
AI and the Environment
Thursday, November 12, 11-1:45 am
AI’s environmental impact is making the headlines! This librarian-led workshop will teach you how to parse the data and act sustainably. You will learn about AI and data centers, innovations underway for creating a greener AI, and what you can do to advocate for sustainable AI.
Taught by Librarian Michelle Mussuto
Welcome to the Fun Side: Meriam Library Resources
Tuesday, November 17, 12-12:30 pm
Now it's time to go over to the fun side of Meriam Library! Discover helpful resources, cool tools, and library perks that can make life easier and more enjoyable. Meriam Library offers streaming videos, tabletop games, popular books, crafts, and language-learning software, just to name a few! There is more to the library than you may think!
Taught by Librarian Pam Kruger
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California State University, Chico
400 West First St.
Chico, CA 95929
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