Systems librarian Chris Morris helps students, faculty and staff every day access the resources they need from Clemson Libraries, but most of them don’t even realize it.
Morris is one of the many Libraries employees who work behind the scenes to make sure that the systems that allow users to access collections — both physical and digital — are running smoothly.
A native of the Atlanta area (Kennesaw, to be specific), Morris ended up working in libraries by accident — literally. When he was in high school, he said he was driving around one day and rear ended someone. His mom thought he had too much free time on his hands, so she made him get a job, and she knew that the local public library was hiring. Morris applied and ended up working at that library — Gritters Library in Marietta, Georgia — for nine years.
He continued to work at the library throughout high school and during his time in college at Kennesaw State University, where he earned a bachelor’s in communication and media studies. He originally wanted to go into sports communication, but when he realized he couldn’t go straight to working for the Atlanta Braves right out of college, he changed his mind.
After several years working a variety of jobs, he thought about that library job he once had and decided to get back into that field. He got a staff job at the Kennesaw State library and after a few years, he decided that he should go back to school for his master’s degree, which would open up more job opportunities in the field. He earned his Master of Library and Information Science degree from Valdosta State University, and that allowed him to move into a web services librarian position at Kennesaw State.
Four months after moving into that role, his supervisor left, and Morris ended up taking on some of his duties, adding systems librarian to his role. He later also served as interim director of collection development but eventually decided that it was time to make a change and started looking for new opportunities outside of KSU.
“I already knew some people who worked here and had heard good things about Clemson,” he said. “I have always been a Georgia Tech fan, and we used to play Clemson every year, so I already knew that Clemson had some of the best fans and people.”
He and his family also liked the area when they visited, and when he drove up for his interview, his GPS system routed him through the Clemson University Forest. He said that drive through the Forest was when he really fell in love with Clemson. He ended up with the job and started in March of 2023.
Morris is the person responsible for managing systems like Alma and Primo, which the Libraries uses to manage its collections and resources and make them available to users. Libraries employees use Alma to do everything from acquisitions to cataloging, and Primo is the public-facing platform that people use to search the Libraries’ catalog and find items. Both systems are critical for library operations, and when things go wrong, he has to find a way to fix it.
“I get to figure out a lot of puzzles, and that’s my favorite thing about my job. I like figuring things out and helping people troubleshoot problems,” he said.
Morris is also responsible for setting up systems in other library locations, such as the new Harvey S. Peeler Jr. College of Veterinary Medicine, which has a library collection on its campus that students can use, or the CU-ICAR branch library in Greenville. He is also always looking for ways to improve the services that the Libraries offers by implementing new technologies and systems.
“I love helping people and engaging with them to understand their jobs, so I can help them get access to the things they need,” he said. “Somebody needs me every day.”
Outside of work, Morris enjoys spending time with his children — Violet, 9, and Jaxon, 5 — and their golden retriever, Hazel. He is an avid fan of all Atlanta-area professional sports teams, and he is still a Georgia Tech fan, though he does now also root for Clemson sports as well (provided they are not playing the Yellow Jackets).