‘Introducing Ryland Johnson, Scholarly Communications Librarian’

LSUS Noel Memorial Library is happy to introduce Ryland Johnson, our new Scholarly Communications Librarian! Mr. Johnson joined us in mid-July, 2022, and is excited to take on his new role! Born in Texas, Ryland travelled with his family through his youth, spending most of his formative years in Atlanta, Georgia. Ryland began his journey in librarianship while in college at Kennesaw State University, serving as a travelling Information Assistant at Cobb County Public Library System. “I had a great introduction to library service at Cobb. I served in almost every library in Cobb County, GA, doing everything from circulations to genealogical research for our patrons.”

While in college, Ryland earned academic scholarships to study abroad in Europe and Asia, attending Northumbria University in the UK and St. Petersburg Technical Institute in Russia. Ryland graduated from KSU with a BA in English, concentrating on postmodern philosophy and critical theory. After graduation, Ryland travelled to Brooklyn, NY, to study philosophy and the arts at SUNY Stony Brook, earning his first Master’s degree (philosophy) in 2008.

After receiving his MA, Ryland returned to GA, serving at KSU as an adjunct professor of philosophy while also working as a Library Technician at Cobb County Public Library. In 2012, Ryland accepted a position in Dalian, China, teaching Chinese and American Philosophy and English Language at Dalian University of Foreign Language. After returning to the US, Ryland served at the Emerson Library at Webster University, and was accepted into the University of Missouri Columbia Information Science and Learning Technology (Library Science) MA program, where Ryland served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and completed a practicum in library science at the J. Otto Lottes Health Science Library. Ryland completed his second MA in 2016.

In his most recent position, Mr Johnson served as Adult Services Librarian at Fulton County Library System in Atlanta, GA. “We served an incredibly vibrant and diverse community at FCLS, and I was based in one of the most high-performing branches in our system of 34 libraries.” At FCLS, Ryland created and delivered impactful programs for his community, facilitated outreach and community-focused partnerships, developed collections, and served on various administrative committees. “I’m excited to bring what I learned serving my community at Fulton to my new role here at Noel Memorial Library.”

In his new role as Scholarly Communications Librarian, Ryland is excited to develop LSUS’ Institutional repository, support faculty and student scholarship, provide research, education, and training services, and facilitate outreach. “I’m perhaps most excited about engaging with LSUS’ great students and helping to make our community at LSUS a better place!”

In his spare time, Ryland enjoys photographing landscapes and architecture. He has been a regular player on the You Might Die Tonight: Shadowrun podcast. Some of his favorite books are Moby Dick, Rebecca, The Plague, The Martian, and Dracula.