Announcement

I want to inform you that Ohio State University announced on Wednesday, at President Gee’s State of the University address to the University Senate, that I have accepted an offer to become their new Director of Libraries, effective January 5, 2010.

I am confident that you know that the past month has been an emotional one for me as I engaged first in the search process and then in the process of making my personal decision about this offer. The University of Kentucky offered me my first opportunity to serve as the head of its library, and in the course of doing so, it has afforded me many wonderful opportunities. I love being the dean of the UK Libraries for many reasons, and one of the primary ones is that I have been able to work with each of you. I am proud of what this University and its Libraries have accomplished, and I look forward to admiring what it yet will achieve. Still, I realize that I have reached the point where I want a chance to lead a top twenty public university library system to its own higher ground. As I told them during my interview, OSU was the only other job that I was interested in beyond the one I already had. I am honored by its offer to be Director of Libraries. You might find the video of the newly renovated Thompson Library at OSU of interest – http://www.osu.edu/features/2009/library/

In the days ahead, you will be hearing from Swamy asking for your advice on the naming of an interim Dean. I encourage you to submit your ideas and thoughts to him for his consideration.