Ronald McColl

Ronald McColl
  • Assistant Professor
  • Special Collections Librarian
  • Curator, Darlington Herbarium (DWC)
  • Department: University Libraries
  • Institution: West Chester University of Pennsylvania
  • Email: RMCCOLL@wcupa.edu

Education

  • B.A. English (Ursinus College) M.A. English (Villanova University) M.L.S. (Clarion University)

Research Interests

book historyarchival theorynineteenth century natural historyWilliam Darlington (1782-1863)

Opportunities

Work Study Positions Available: Yes

Positions expose students to various aspects of archives and rare book librarianship, including collection processing, outreach, exhibition design, and research.

Grant Funded Positions Available: No

Course-Credit Research Opportunities Available: Yes

Internships available for students to conduct research on collections and develop archival and related research skills. Credits earned through enrollment in student's degree-granting department course.

Volunteer Research Positions Available: No

Biography

Ron McColl is an Assistant Professor at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, where he serves as the Special Collections Librarian. In addition, he is the Curator of the William Darlington Herbarium, a collection of nearly 20,000 plant specimens dating to the early nineteenth century. His research interests include archival theory, book history, nineteenth century natural history, botanist William Darlington (1782-1863), and Chester County history.

Contact Information

Phone: 610-436-3456

List of Publications

  • McColl, Ron., and Tim Sestrick. “Adopting a Relational Pedagogy for Academic Library Internships.” Pennsylvania Libraries: Research & Practice, vol. 12, no. 1, 2024, pp. 23-32.
  • McColl, Ron. “Of People and Plants: The Localisms of William Darlington’s Florula Cestrica.” Archives of Natural History, vol. 51, no. 1, 2024, pp. 47-60.