When students log into Canvas and instantly access their course materials — from books and research articles to films and media clips — they probably don’t think about the behind-the-scenes work and people that make it possible.
But it’s likely that Zach Eden was one of the linchpins in that process.
Eden joined the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s University Libraries team in 2016, and since then, he has seen the growth in online course materials. As a Course Reserves and Digitization associate in the collection management department, Eden helps shape the way students learn and helps them save money. The University Libraries reported in October 2025 that since formally launching the Course Materials program in 2022, the efforts have saved students more than $3 million.
“My job is making materials available for students, purchasing them in the format that is needed, processing them — whether it's digitizing chapters or a movie or acquiring a book,” Eden said. “I love having those active conversations of ‘How do we get the materials and how do we make them accessible for students to use and save them money they can spend on more fun things?’”
A 2010 alumnus of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Eden majored in studio art and English, but he was always pulled to libraries, even in elementary and high school in his hometown of Milford, Nebraska.
“I worked as a student clerk at the public library. That was my high school job, and I've always loved working with people and meeting people and helping them,” Eden said. “I never thought of library science as a degree, but I’ve always loved what libraries stand for, and working here feels like a bridge between the extroverted side of me who likes to meet and work with people and the more curious side who wants to study and learn new things.”
Also connecting Eden to libraries is his newly found voracious love of reading. He doesn’t watch much television and prefers to enjoy a book, music or the outdoors in his free time.
A collector of vinyl records and CDs, he appreciates the artwork that adorns them. He also spends much of his vacation time traveling to see live music.
“I have almost 50 signed CDs, mostly from back in the day when you would go to shows and try to meet the musicians or they’d stick around and sign CDs after a show,” Eden said.
Many of the books he reads are tied to musicians and music-making.
“I like to know what makes (musicians) tick," he said. "I spend a lot of time listening to music and journaling about it, and I love reading biographies and autobiographies about musicians and even producers behind the scenes.”
Eden moved to Kansas for a few years after college, where he took a job in a used bookstore. There, it clicked — he thoroughly enjoyed working with books, from recommending something to someone to the cataloging, and listing books for sale online. A job at University Libraries opened in 2016 and a friend encouraged him to apply.
Eden’s work has evolved alongside the rapid shift toward digital learning. In the early years of his role, digitized course materials were still gaining traction. That changed dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, when demand for online access surged.
“In an odd way, that made our services more front-of-mind for instructors,” Eden said. “We saw a much bigger shift to digital content and started rethinking processes to make materials more accessible online.”
What once required students to physically visit the library, such as reading a chapter or book placed on reserve, can now be done anywhere, any time. Eden regularly scans and uploads readings, locates e-books and articles, and integrates films, television, music and literature directly into Canvas.
His favorite part of the job is getting to know instructors across campus.
“I’m getting to build rapport and making those connections with instructors, which I find really valuable,” Eden said.
Those connections are also helping him navigate the upcoming ADA Title II accessibility compliance deadline in April 2027. He collaborates closely with campus partners, including the Center for Transformative Teaching, in the efforts to meet accessibility requirements.
“We have a great working partnership with the Center for Transformative Teaching, and our goal is always to make materials as accessible as possible,” Eden said. “Some of our tools have that technology built in, but we also work with CTT on formatting, tagging, alt text, those kinds of things, too. Ultimately, there is still a lot we are doing manually, because the technology doesn’t exist yet, but hopefully, the tools and technology will catch up.”
Though behind the scenes, Eden’s work hasn’t gone unnoticed. In spring 2026, Eden was recognized with the Sue Tidball Award from the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor, which recognizes significant contributions to the development of a humane, educationally creative and caring community within the university. His nominators noted his positive, friendly and professional attitude and remarked how important his work has been to their teaching, with one faculty member writing: “Zach has helped me connect library resources into my teaching in a transformative way. His work has allowed me to offer a much more integrative and comprehensive learning experience for the students. Zach’s contributions have been one of the biggest impacts on my teaching in the last five years.”
“That's the connection that I am always trying to shoot for in my interactions with instructors, so seeing what they wrote about my work hit home that I what do is important and it’s meant a lot,” Eden said. “That’s a cool thing to be recognized your peers and puts things into perspective — what the work means to people that took the time to nominate you for something like that.”
