New Dean of Libraries Starts August 1

We are pleased to announce the successful recruitment of Nandita Mani as our next Dean of Libraries. She will begin August 1.

Dr. Mani is currently at UNC Chapel Hill, where she is in her sixth year as Associate University Librarian for Health Sciences & Director, Health Sciences Library. She received her bachelor’s degree from Concordia University of Edmonton, Alberta, and subsequently earned a Master’s in Library and Information Science and a PhD in Instructional Technology, both from Wayne State University in Detroit.

In her role at UNC-CH, Dr. Mani led the development of the University Libraries’ data science framework, which articulated how the Libraries can contribute to campus-wide data-science initiatives. Her first-authored article on this topic appeared last year in the Journal of Library Administration. She was also part of the UNC Libraries’ Reckoning Initiative to build antiracism into the Libraries’ policies, procedures, and approaches. She has also overseen the Health Sciences Library’s fundraising efforts.

We want to express our appreciation to the members of the Search Committee: chairs Mari Castañeda and Tilman Wolf, Whitney Battle-Baptiste, Marilyn Billings, Jennifer Friedman, Krista Harper, Michael Mercurio, Brian Ogilvie, Kelly Smiaroski, and Xiaoyun Song. We also note with gratitude Sarah Hutton’s year of service as Interim Dean of the Libraries. She very capably led the Libraries through a difficult time.