For the Love of Libraries: Meet Mike Moran
If you have been a student, or a member of the Bay Path faculty or staff from 2008 to 2018, chances are that you have met or talked with Mike Moran. A self-declared bibliophile and a lover of music, he oversaw the evolution of the Hatch Learning Commons into a modern, welcoming environment that matched the transformation in learning. Moran was part of the effort to keep Hatch up to date, and he continues that work through the Friends of Hatch.
“I was familiar with Friends of the Library groups at other colleges and universities. Why not Bay Path? When I retired, I knew I would have time to help to get it started. In fall 2018The goal of the Friends of Hatch fund is to provide monies for necessary services and tools in the ever-changing information world. As a Friends member, you can get advance notice of talks by local (often Bay Path) authors, presented virtually or at Hatch, and co-sponsored by the Friends and Bay Path’s MFA program in Creative Nonfiction.
Moran’s leadership in libraries extends beyond Bay Path. He is still a director on the board of the Western Mass Library Advocates, where he represents the voice of the western counties in Boston at the Massachusetts Library Association Legislative Committee. He is also a member of his local public library’s board of trustees in Palmer.
Retirement has also meant that Moran is able to pursue his other great love—music. You can find him in concert halls up and down the valley, as well as at Tanglewood, writing reviews for In the Spotlight, an online magazine supporting the arts in Western Massachusetts and beyond. To visit the magazine and read some of Moran’s reviews, click here.
Books and music have played a big part in Moran’s life, but all roads lead back to his career and his commitment to libraries.
“When I visit campus, I am so proud to see the Hatch Learning Commons. It is part of my legacy to Bay Path, as well as the Friends of Hatch. I so believe in the power of libraries—they are vital in our pursuit of learning and are the cornerstone of opportunities and knowledge for not just our students, but for all of us.”