Holman Library serves the students, faculty, and staff of Green River College by providing the resources and services necessary to ensure access to information and development of information literacy skills.
We support and serve the mission, vision and values of Green River College.
Holman Library provides an inclusive learning environment with open access to information, research assistance and a study space for all of Green River. We support and value our students and staff of all religions, races, sex and gender identities, abilities, nations, ages, and immigration statuses.
Holman Library is named after the "father" of Green River College, Hayes Holman, former Superintendent of the Auburn School District.
The library first opened in 1965, the same year Green River College (then "Green River Community College") moved to its present site. It was housed in the Library-Learning Center, that also was home to 12 classrooms, faculty offices, administration, the bookstore, student center and workrooms.
In the 1970s, Orval Hansen was the director of the library. During the mid-1970s, a museum of artifacts from the anthropology and archaeology departments digs in areas around Buckley, Enumclaw, and Franklin was housed in a separate room next to the library and then eventually was relocated into the library itself.
The library remodeled in 1987, adding a second story which contained group study rooms, a quiet study area, and a typing room. This allowed expansion of the first floor to contain the book and magazine collection, a quiet study area, a computer room, a tutoring center, and a video theater.
The library received its first computers with internet capability in 1995. Jim Grossman, director of the library, predicted that within a year it would become the dominant source of research for the average student.
In the mid-nineties, there was a gap with no library director. The library was under another GRC admin with no librarian background. David Wilson and Lee Semsen were the Faculty Librarians. Accreditors let the college know that they needed to address the diminishing resources to the library. GRCC was actually warned about losing accreditation unless they addressed the issue.
Jim Grossman was hired in mid-nineties as the Library Director. He then hired Jennifer Dysart as the Information Commons Manager in 1996.
In January 1997, the library moved into the new Holman Library Building, its present location. The old library building was renovated for classroom use and renamed the Rutkowski Learning Center.
Kim Nakano was hired as Library Director before 1999. She took on the LAW (Language, Academic Skills and Wellness Studies) division and became a dean before she left her position in summer 2008. Jennifer Dysart was hired as Library Director in 2008, became the Dean of Library, Media, Tutoring and eLearning in the late teens.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the library shut down its building in March 2020 (along with most other campus buildings) but still provided virtual library services such as library instruction via Zoom and circulating books and technical equipment using sanitizing and social distancing methods (students could request materials and pick them up at designated times/locations). The library and most other campus operations reopened in September 2021.
Jennifer Dysart retired at the end of January 2025. Katie Cunnion assumed the role of interim Assistant Dean of Library, Media and Tutoring at that time.
History compiled from the following sources: