Academic Library Services to Graduate Students Interest Group

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In Memoriam: Crystal Renfro (Kennesaw State University, Retired)

  • 1.  In Memoriam: Crystal Renfro (Kennesaw State University, Retired)

    Posted May 05, 2025 12:27 PM
    Dear Colleagues,

    It is with great sadness that I share news of the passing of Crystal Renfro with the graduate library community.  Before her retirement, Crystal was the Graduate Engineering Librarian at Kennesaw State University.  She was one of the founding members of the Transforming Libraries for Graduate Students Conference in 2016.  With Cheryl Styles, she co-edited the 2018 ALA book, Transforming Libraries to Serve Graduate Students, which I know so many of us have read and used. 
    Crystal was highly accomplished and decorated (I attach here one example, a link to when she was ACRL Member of the Week):  https://acrl.ala.org/acrlinsider/acrl-member-of-the-week-crystal-renfro/  In addition to being one of the best of us professionally, she was generous and kind, welcoming and funny; in short, the type of friend you'd be lucky to have.  At home, she spent years as leader of a pack of bichons frises, and dearly loved her last, Mercy. 
    Crystal fought long and hard against the illness that took her life.  Deeply devout, she credited her bravery with the knowledge that whatever happened would be God's will.  
    For anyone seeking additional details, Crystal passed on April 22nd.  Her funeral service was on April 25th.  No requests were made.


    Thanks,

    Wendy


    Wendy Doucette, PhD, MSLIS

    Graduate Research and Instruction Librarian

    Associate Professor, East Tennessee State University

    Organizer and Program Chair, TLGS (Transforming Libraries for Graduate Students) International Conference
    Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Graduate Librarianship