As libraries adapt to rapid changes in technology, user expectations, and the research landscape, the question is no longer just what libraries hold, but how they serve. National bodies like the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA)—a division of the American Library Association that helps define best practices in reference services, access to information, and emerging technologies—play a central role in shaping that shift. 

According to Mike Holt, user services “offer an intentional and thoughtful helping hand for navigating library tools and resources that enable a research university to produce the highest quality scholarship."

Holt is LSU Libraries’ head of Research and Instruction Services, and just this year, he was elected RUSA’s president-elect for 2026–2027. He will assume the presidency in 2027–2028, positioning LSU to both contribute to and benefit from the evolving standards that underpin effective research support. 

“In important ways, this role will be shaping the ways research librarians approach their positions in years to come. […] While other universities will be adapting to the changes in time, we will gain the advantage of being well established in the professional research trends before other institutions. That is a very subtle but substantial advantage for LSU going forward,” Holt said. 

Holt has been a member of RUSA for several years, and his research interests include accessibility in user services, librarian burnout, library collection assessment, and library management. Holt has worked at LSU Libraries since 2021 and has continuously served as a pivotal component of LSU Libraries research and instruction services.

“I’m sure it will sound overly optimistic, but I’ve learned how awesome it is to watch a group of librarians work through and solve the problems of our profession[. …] We’re shaping the profession of the future and I’m hopeful we can leave it in a far better place than we found it,” Holt said.