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University Librarian Search Committee Seeks Public Comment

Alex Roland leading a potentially quick national search to replace Ferriero

The university is moving quickly to find a successor to university librarian David Ferriero with a search committee chaired by history professor Alex Roland looking to have a report back to Provost Peter Lange by June 15.

"It's possible that we will report to the provost with one or a few names," Roland said this week. "It's also possible that we will report back that there's a healthy list of candidates and we don't need to hurry this and can do a more traditional search in the fall."

Ferriero announced in April that he was leaving Duke to become Andrew W. Mellon Director and chief executive of the research libraries at New York Public Library. He will begin the job Sept. 1.

Lange charged the committee with conducting an accelerated search because of the large number of university librarian searches underway across the nation. "Candidates initially viewed as strong contenders for our position may be lost if we do not move quickly," Lange said.

In his charge to the committee, Lange said the university is looking for a librarian who would maintain the growth in reputation and record of innovation that the library earned under Ferriero. He noted the library's importance for the university's teaching and research missions, particularly as the library continues to integrate technology into its collections.

The new hire will take over the library at a time that it is undertaking a large construction effort, as well as several smaller but important projects such as converting to Library of Congress classification.

Roland said he hopes members of the Duke community will contribute both ideas and potential candidates to the search committee.

"One of the lessons we at Duke learned from David Ferriero is the extent to which Perkins Library is at the nexus of a large number of constituencies, both within the university and outside of it," Roland said. "It is a place that brings together all these different groups. I hope we will hear from as many of these different constituencies as possible."

Roland said the committee has called several nationally respected library officials for comments and advice, and that the "list of the people to contact is already expanding."

Anyone interested in either suggesting candidates or offering comments about the university librarian position should contact Roland at 684-2758 or e-mail alex.roland@duke.edu. Comments in writing can be sent to Roland at Box 90719.