MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Catherine Cooney appointed Senior Curator and inaugural Patrick Coleman Chair for Maps, Rare Books and Print Culture
Cooney comes to MNHS with a background focused on using books, museum collections, and everyday objects to ignite curiosity in a broad and diverse audience of learners. She most recently worked as a consultant for organizations around the country, including Metropolitan State University Denver and the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She has held multiple roles for grantees of the Library of Congress’ Teaching with Primary Sources Program, and served as National Endowment for the Humanities Senior Librarian at the Winterthur Museum Garden and Library, and as Assistant Librarian at the Marquand Library of Art and Archaeology at Princeton University.
Conney received her BA and MA in Art History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and her Masters in Library and Information Studies also from the University of Wisconsin. She lives in Minneapolis with her family.
“As a dedicated scholar and skilled bibliophile, Patrick Coleman solidified The Gale Family Library as a premier resource for Minnesota scholars over his 40-year tenure,” said Cecily Marcus, MNHS’s director of collections. “We are thrilled to have Cate Cooney continue his work, to ensure the collection grows in breadth and depth and remains accessible to all Minnesotans.”