Irene Owens

Born in the North Carolina Sandhills region, Dr. Owens earned her bachelor's degree at Barber–Scotia College, master's degrees from Howard University and the University of Maryland, and doctorate in library science from UNC–Chapel Hill. After working as a schoolteacher and at the Library of Congress, she became head librarian at Howard University's School of Divinity. In 1995 she joined the faculty of the School of Information at the University of Texas at Austin, becoming the first African-American professor to earn tenure there and won the Texas Excellence in Teaching Award. She became dean of the NCCU School of Library and Information Sciences in 2005, retiring in 2016. A Distinguished Alumna at UNC School of Information and Library Sciences (SILS), she has served on the SILS Alumni Inclusion and Diversity (SAID) Committee and the SILS Campaign for Carolina Committee.

• Up one level
• SILS Distinguished Alumna Irene Owens establishes fund for diversity and global programs
  December 15, 2020
• INLS 888: Seminar in Teaching and Academic Life (pdf)
  Instructor: Dr. Irene Owens. Syllabus spring 2018. This course is intended to prepare students for faculty positions. It fulfills the eligibility requirement for doctoral students wishing to teach at SILS (or elsewhere in the university). Through seminar discussions, observations, case studies and guest speakers, we will reflect on various aspects of faculty life with major emphasis on preparing for the teaching role.
• UNC, NCCU to host summit to close literacy gap for young black males
  By Breon Williams, UNC Heelium, June 9, 2012 Closing the literacy achievement gap between young black males and other students will be the focus of a spring 2012 summit convened by UNC-Chapel Hill and North Carolina Central University.
  UNC's School of Information and Library Science and NCCU's School of Library and Information Sciences will hold the three-day event, "Building a Bridge to Literacy for African-American Male Youth: A Call to Action for the Library Community."
• No Longer Just for Books (pdf)
  Paul V. Brown, Jr., and Rob Waters, NCCU Now, Fall 2011:37-39,51
• Black History at SILS
  February 9, 2024. In celebration of Black History Month, this article explores the rich history of Black alumni at the UNC School of Information and Library Science (SILS).
• Irene Owens receives Roadbuilders' Award (pdf)
  School of Information and Library Science @ Carolina. Number 71. Spring 2008. Alumni News. p18. SILS alumna, Dr. Irene Owens, (Ph.D. '95), has received the 2007 North Carolina Library Association's Roundtable for Ethnic Minority Concerns (REMCo) Roadbuilders' Award for Library Education. The REMCo Roadbuilders' Award recognizes ethnic minority librarians in library education, academic, public, school and special libraries, who have served as pioneers in librarianship and who also represent a positive role model in the field. This award further recognizes ethnic minority librarians who exemplify courage, integrity, perseverance and who have contributed to the field of librarianship for their specific category.
• International Conference on Public Libraries, Taipei, October 2002 (pdf)
  Information and Library Science @ Carolina, Fall 2002 / winter 2003, Number 61. SILS doctoral alumni Irene Owens (far left)and Wen-Chin Lan (far right) joined faculty members Barbara Moran (second from left) and Evelyn Daniel at the International Conference on Public Libraries held in October in Taipei, Taiwan. Daniel, Moran and Owens spoke at the conference; Lan, an August Ph.D. graduate, lives in Taipei.
• 1999-2000 Texas Excellence in Teaching Award (pdf)
  Information and Library Science @ Carolina, No. 57, Fall 2000:p18. Dr. Irene Owens (Ph.D. '95, above right), a faculty member at the University of Texas at Austin, was awarded the 1999-2000 Texas Excellence in Teaching Award.