About Us

The Final Candidates

Our final candidates visited onsite May 15th-23rd. The campus community was invited to attend the open presentations in which candidates were asked to speak about their vision for the future of academic libraries. 

Final candidates for the position and visit dates were:

Karen Williams, May 15-16

Video of Karen Williams' campus presentation (UA only)

Carolyn Henderson Allen, May 20-21

Video of Carolyn Henderson Allen's campus presentation (UA only)

Joyce L. Ogburn, May 22-23

Video of Joyce L. Ogburn's campus presentation (UA only)

Send the Search Committee Feedback

We are no longer accepting feedback. To contact us with any questions, send an email to deansearch@u.library.arizona.edu.

The Search Committee

To contact us, send an email to deansearch@u.library.arizona.edu.

• Thomas P. Miller, Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs (Chair)
• Rebecca Blakiston, Assistant Librarian, Instructional Services Team, University Libraries
• Michael Brewer, Librarian, Team Leader of the Instructional Services Team, University Libraries
• Arch Brown, current member and former chair of the Friends of the University Libraries Board
• Kathryn Conrad, Director of University of Arizona Press
• Julian Etienne, graduate student representative, School of Information Resources and Library Science
• Mary Feeney, Associate Librarian, Research Services Team, & Chair of the Library Faculty, University Libraries
• Gary Freiburger, Directory, Arizona Health Sciences Library
• Jeremy Frumkin, Associate Librarian, Team Leader of the Scholarly Publishing and Data Management Team, Assistant Dean and Chief Technology Strategist
• Bryan Heidorn, Director and faculty member, School of Information Resources and Library Science
• Yvonne Mery, Assistant Librarian, Instructional Services Team, University Libraries
• Michele Norin, CIO, University Information Technology Services
• Nasser Peyghambarian, Professor of Optical Sciences, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and Director of the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Integrated Access Networks 
• Chestalene Pintozzi, Associate Librarian, Director of Project Management and Assessment, Administration Team, University Libraries
• Cheryl Neal, staff member, Delivery, Description & Acquisitions Team, University Libraries
• Verónica Reyes-Escudero, Associate Librarian and Borderlands Curator, Special Collections, University Libraries
• Helena Rodrigues, Project Director of UA ADVANCE
• Jeanne Voyles, Librarian, Team Leader of Delivery, Description & Acquisitions Team, University Libraries
• Mary Wildner-Bassett, College of Humanities Dean and faculty member

Working at the Libraries

For details on our organization, the University of Arizona, and Tucson, explore our web page: Why Work at the Libraries?

Overview of the Dean Position

The University of Arizona seeks a dynamic, inclusive, and visionary leader with excellent interpersonal and management skills to fill the position of Dean of the University Libraries. The University Libraries are nationally recognized for their innovation and leadership. In the last five years, faculty, staff, and administrators have garnered national awards and recognition for advances in instructional technology, professional development, strategic planning and leadership, commitments to diversity and equity, initiatives in archival and curatorial work, service to disciplines and the public, and community engagement. The University Libraries’ close institutional partnerships with the University of Arizona Press, the Arizona Health Sciences Library, and a wide range of campus units have created synergies in digitization and scholarly publishing that last year generated more than 100,000 digitized books, theses & dissertations, images, and other unique research materials. The University Libraries have established an online Campus Repository that has positioned the library as a central contributor to the management of research and institutional data.

With a national reputation as an agile and innovative institution, the University Libraries are well poised to meet the challenges of serving the evolving research, outreach and teaching needs of the University of Arizona as a top ranked and broadly accessible land grant university. The University of Arizona Libraries are one of the top twenty five public research libraries in the United States, with over six million volumes, almost two million physical visitors, and nearly twenty million virtual visits last year. The University of Arizona Press publishes over sixty books a year and is a national leader in areas such anthropology, space sciences, environmental studies, and the peoples and cultures of the Southwest. For more information on the UA Press, the University of Arizona Libraries, Special Collections, and related units, visit Why Work at the Libraries?

The position of Dean of the University Libraries provides an incredible collaborative opportunity for an engaging and engaged leader who is prepared to join the university’s senior administration and work with an exceptional group of over 160 faculty and staff to build on a well-respected tradition of visionary leadership. Candidates should have a distinguished record of innovative administration, scholarly achievement, and professional accomplishments, including a guiding commitment to diversity and equity. They should have a proven record of transparent and successful strategic planning and the ability to promote collaboration among library staff and diverse constituencies, including traditionally underserved students and groups. They should display an unwavering commitment to library service excellence and to supporting the research, learning, and teaching needs of students, researchers, and teaching faculty. They should also have the proven ability to inspire trust and respect, to motivate people, and to build consensus with the agility needed in an ever-changing environment. A strong awareness and understanding of the needs and value of special collections and academic presses are also vital.

The next Dean of the University of Arizona Libraries will have the opportunity to build on well-established and nationally recognized commitments to diversity and inclusion. To advance those commitments, candidates will be expected to have broad experience and expertise with collaborating with diverse coworkers, promoting inclusive innovations and organizational cultures, and expanding access and engagement to students and communities that have traditionally been underserved in higher education. 

The Position

The Dean of the University Libraries has an expansive set of responsibilities and reports directly to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and sits on the Dean’s Council. The Dean serves on the Deans’ Council and provides senior leadership to the university community. The Dean chairs the Libraries’ Cabinet, the senior leadership team of the Libraries, which consists of the Dean, Associate Dean, team leaders, UA Press Director, Senior Budget Manager, and representatives from faculty and staff governance.

The Portfolio

The University Libraries are active partners in the 21^st century research, instruction, and land grant missions of our parent institution. Supported by a faculty and staff of 168, the University Libraries system includes the Main Library, Science & Engineering Library, Fine Arts Library, and Special Collections. In 2009, the University of Arizona Press began reporting to the Dean in order to take advantage of synergies between the two units related to information technology, scholarly communication, and publishing.

The University

The University of Arizona is one of top thirty public and private research universities in the United States and is known internationally for its commitment to education, research, and community impact. As a public, land-grant institution, the UA provides an accessible and inviting environment for discovery and learning. Tucson is a richly diverse and progressive city located in the Sonoran borderlands region along the Mexican border. The spacious campus is within minutes of deserts and the downtown and is surrounded by historic family-friendly neighborhoods. Tucson has been selected as one of the most livable cities in America for its beautiful weather, majestic mountain ranges, and relaxed southwest lifestyle.

Candidate Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• An ALA-accredited MLS degree or other appropriate academic preparation;
• A strong record of successful, senior management and leadership experience in an increasingly responsible role;
• Successful experience in managing complex budgets within a higher education or related setting; and
• An exceptional record of innovative administration and professional and scholarly accomplishments.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Personal Qualities

• A second advanced degree;
• Demonstrated administrative ability to think strategically, be innovative, take risks, and effectively lead a complex, dynamic organization in an environment of ongoing change;
• Demonstrated collaborative skills to build, leverage, and sustain productive personal and institutional partnerships and work collaboratively within the organization, across the university, across the broader community, and with consortia, networks and other national initiatives;
• Strong entrepreneurial spirit and a track record of  fundraising, including working with donors, library boards, and state and national political stakeholders;
• Exceptional ability to communicate the mission, vision, and value of the Libraries and the UA Press to multiple constituencies;
• Ability to engender in staff a strong shared sense of institutional commitment and ownership through effective listening, mediation and problem solving skills, and facilitation; fosters a transparent and inclusive environment where all voices are welcomed and the strengths, experience, and perspectives of staff are fully utilized.
• Ability to build and utilize a senior management team, including recognizing employee strengths, appointing outstanding candidates, and delegating work appropriately; ability to lead timely, open, collaborative, and data-driven planning and decision making processes;
• A strong track record of being accessible, fair, informed, and timely in making decisions and in dealing with organizational and personnel concerns;
• A well-informed understanding of research libraries and the rapidly changing world of postsecondary education, including changes in information technology, and scholarly communication and publishing; and
• A strong record of advancing diversity and equity in hiring, retention, outreach, and other initiatives.