A search for the new dean of the libraries is heading for completion as the search committee and administration have selected three finalists who have been invited to visit Washington. Ginny Steel, former Director of Libraries, accepted a position at UC Santa Cruz the summer of 2005 and Cindy Kaag has served as Interim Director of the Libraries since that time.
While numerous visits and interviews are slated during the visits, all faculty and staff are invited to attend the open sessions. The open sessions will be announced through WSU Announcements as soon as schedules are finalized.
The three candidates are: Steven Smith, Stephen Shorb and Jay Starratt.
Steven Smith, Associate Dean for Advancement, Texas A&M University Libraries; Director and C. Clifford Wendler Professor, Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, is scheduled to visit campus June 4 and 5, 2007. Dr. Smith received his B.A., M.A. and M.L. from the University of South Carolina and his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University.
Prior to his appointment as Director of the Cushing Library, he served as Special Collections Librarian at Cushing Memorial Library and Archives and Bibliographic Instruction Librarian and Humanities Reference Librarian at Sterling C. Evans Library.
As Associate Dean, he coordinates all fund raising efforts for the TAMU Libraries and participates in the overall planning and administration of the Libraries as a member of the Dean’s administrative cabinet. As Director of Cushing, he oversees the Libraries’ Special Collections, Archives, and Records Management programs. He is founder and director of the annual Book History at A&M Workshop, which provides students with hands-on experience in printing and its allied technologies (typecasting, bookbinding, papermaking, and illustration) prior to 1800. He is the author of two books, over forty scholarly articles and essays, and numerous lectures on a wide range of topics, including the history of books and printing, digital libraries, and education and outreach in archives and special collections.
His honors and awards include selection for the Texas A&M University Distinguished Faculty Lecture (2007); election to the Philosophical Society of Texas (2005); selection for the Association of Research Libraries’ Leadership Fellows program (2005); a Grolier Club Research Fellowship (2004); a Big XII Faculty Fellowship (1999/2000); the Distinguished Librarianship Award from the Texas A&M Association of Former Students (1997); and a Whitney-Carnegie Award from the American Library Association (1991). His research interests are in the areas of book history, digital libraries, and scholarly communication.
Stephen Shorb, Dean of the University Library at the University of Nebraska at Omaha is scheduled to visit campus May 29 and 30, 2007. Mr. Shorb received his B.B.A. in Business Administration and Personnel and his M.A. in Library and Information Science from the University of Iowa, Iowa City. He also received an M.A. in Political Science (Public Affairs) from the University of Florida.
Before joining the University of Nebraska, Mr. Shorb served as Director of Library and Information Resources at the Manchester Community-Technical College, University Librarian at the American University of Sharjah and Associate Director of the University Libraries at the University of Florida. Prior to becoming a librarian, he had 14 years of experience in the computer industry.
Mr. Shorb has extensive experience in implementing new technology, familiarity with library building projects and renovations, and a significant background in planning, marketing and management.
He serves on the board of directors for SCOLA, a global non-profit foreign language broadcasting network and is a regular delegate to the World Library and Information Congress sponsored by the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA). He has been selected by university students for membership in Omicron Delta Kappa, a National Leadership Honor Society. His research interests include the areas of visual literacy, media literacy and leadership ethics.
Jay Starratt, Associate Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and Dean of Library and Information Services from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville (SIUE) will be on campus June 6 and 7, 2007. Starratt earned a B.A. and a M.A. of Library Science from Emory University.
Before joining SIUE, Starratt served as Director of Technical and Automation Services at SIU Carbondale’s Morris Library. Previous professional positions include assistant director for Administrative Services at the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Library and assistant to the director and supervisor of Circulation at Emory University Library.
He has been in leadership positions at the state level for the IACRL and the ILA and nationally for the ALA, the ACRL, the Library Administration and Management Association (LAMA), and the Library and Information Technology Association. He also co-chaired the IACRL/Illinois Board of Higher Education Liaison Committee and served as a member and chair of the ILCSO Policy Council and as president of ILCSO, and is still a member of ILCSO’s board of directors.
His awards and honors include: Illinois Academic Librarian of the Year in 2002 and the Hugh C. Atkinson Memorial Award in 2005. His research interests are in the areas of technology and library cooperation.
The search committee was appointed in December, 2006. Muriel Oaks, Dean of the Center for Distance and Professional Education is chairing the search committee. The search committee has been acting on behalf of the students, faculty and staff to identify candidates to come to campus and the state for interviews. There will be many opportunities for the candidates to interact with the community at large during their visits. Everyone is strongly urged to attend the interviews and provide feedback to the provost.
The search committee members are:
-Trevor Bond, Special Collections Librarian, Libraries
–Bonny Boyan, Personnel, Coordinator, Libraries
–Jim Evermann, Professor, VCS, VCAPP
–Howard Grimes, Dean, Graduate School
–Dennis Haarsager, Assoc. Vice President, Educational and Public Media
–Daryl Herbison, Info Tech Specialist, Libraries
–Carol Ivory, Professor, Fine Arts
–Joseph Judy, Director, Info Services & Facilities
–Beth Lindsay, Asst Dean, Public Svc & Outreach, Libraries
–Sarah McCord, Reference Librarian, Health Science Library
–David Pietz, Assistant Professor, History
–Kathy Vogeler, Info Tech, ITS Distributed Support Services
–Leslie Wykoff, Director, Vanc Info Services
