Rhea Ballard-ThrowerProfile page
Dean & University Librarian
University Library
- Dean & University LibrarianUniversity Library
BIO
Rhea Ballard-Thrower joined the University of Illinois Chicago as Dean and University Librarian in the middle of the Covid pandemic in 2021. In her role, she provides the strategic direction and vision for Chicago’s only public Carnegie Research 1 library.
Ballard-Thrower earned her B.A. from the University of Cincinnati, a J.D. from the University of Kentucky, and her M.I.L.S. from the University of Michigan.
Prior to her appointment at UIC, Ballard-Thrower was Executive Director of the Howard University Libraries. During her time at Howard, she also served as Director of the Howard University School of Law Library. As a Howard Law faculty member, Ballard-Thrower taught Advance Legal Research using the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program pedagogy. A course she now teaches at UIC Law as Students in Jail.
Earlier in her career, Ballard-Thrower was Associate Director at the Georgia State University Law Library, and as a reference librarian for the Tarlton Law Library at the University of Texas – Austin.
As a law librarian, Ballard-Thrower has been a legal bibliography instructor, conference presenter, and author of many articles on law librarianship. Her current research highlights teaching legal research to incarcerated students as a social justice tool.
Ballard-Thrower currently serves as an executive board member of both the American Research Libraries and the Chicago Collections Consortium.
Ballard-Thrower earned her B.A. from the University of Cincinnati, a J.D. from the University of Kentucky, and her M.I.L.S. from the University of Michigan.
Prior to her appointment at UIC, Ballard-Thrower was Executive Director of the Howard University Libraries. During her time at Howard, she also served as Director of the Howard University School of Law Library. As a Howard Law faculty member, Ballard-Thrower taught Advance Legal Research using the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program pedagogy. A course she now teaches at UIC Law as Students in Jail.
Earlier in her career, Ballard-Thrower was Associate Director at the Georgia State University Law Library, and as a reference librarian for the Tarlton Law Library at the University of Texas – Austin.
As a law librarian, Ballard-Thrower has been a legal bibliography instructor, conference presenter, and author of many articles on law librarianship. Her current research highlights teaching legal research to incarcerated students as a social justice tool.
Ballard-Thrower currently serves as an executive board member of both the American Research Libraries and the Chicago Collections Consortium.
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO APPOINTMENTS
- Dean & University LibrarianUniversity of Illinois at Chicago, University Library, Chicago, United StatesFeb 2021
ACADEMIC POSITIONS
- Executive Director and Associate ProfessorHoward University, University Libraries, Washington D.C., United StatesSep 2016 - Jan 2021
- Director & Associate ProfessorHoward University, School of Law Library, Washington D.C., United StatesFeb 2001 - Sep 2016
- Associate LibrarianGeorgia State University, College of Law Library, Atlanta, United StatesJul 1995 - Feb 2001
- Public Services LibrarianGeorgia State University, College of Law Library, United StatesOct 1990 - Jul 1995
- Reserve Room LibrarianUniversity of Texas, Tarlton Law Library, School of Law, United StatesSep 1989 - Sep 1990
- Reference LibrarianUniversity of Texas, Tarlton Law Library, School of Law, United StatesSep 1988 - Sep 1989
DEGREES
- Master, Information and Library StudiesUniversity of Michigan–Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, United States
- Juris DoctorUniversity of Kentucky, College of Law, Lexington, United States
- Bachelor, ArtsUniversity of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, United States