President Linda Mills and Provost Georgina Dopico appointed Kristina Rose as dean of NYU Libraries, closing an eight-month search and continuing Rose’s over two decades of service to the university.
Rose, who was announced as dean in a memo last Monday, formally assumed her position on May 1 after serving as the library’s interim dean since January. She was previously the associate dean for collections and content strategy at the library, after leading its Access, Delivery and Resource Sharing Services department.
“Each role has taught me something new about our mission, our people, and our potential,” Rose said in a statement to WSN. “My colleagues have been among my greatest teachers, and I carry with me a deep appreciation for the daily work that sustains our libraries and serves our diverse academic community.”
As dean of libraries, Rose oversees operations at Bobst Library as well as the eight other libraries across NYU’s campuses abroad, and manages NYU Press and the University Archives. She takes over from Austin Booth, dean of libraries for six years, who retired in December after spearheading large-scale renovations to the first floor of Bobst and expanding free library access to NYU alumni.
Rose said that she aims to prioritize improving the libraries’ digital resources, particularly by enhancing the website’s search functionality and ensuring more consistent information updates. She also said plans to create additional designated physical spaces in Bobst to accommodate more students’ needs and revise NYU’s information databases so that they can better support a faster-paced research cycle.
“We’re addressing the so-called ‘Netflix model’ of collection development and exploring how we can support data-intensive research, digital scholarship and sustainable open access,” Rose said. “I see this as a critical opportunity for NYU Libraries to lead — by being flexible, by building capacity and by remaining deeply attuned to the scholarly needs of our global academic community.”
Rose joined NYU in 2004 as an access services librarian, after working at Columbia University’s library. In 2007, she was admitted to the American Library Association Emerging Leader program, a national recognition that honors around 100 rising library professionals annually. She became interim head of Access, Delivery and Resource Sharing services in 2011 and was appointed associate dean for collections and content strategy in 2019.
“She brings a wealth of experience to this post, and great familiarity with the workings of NYU’s libraries,” Mills said in an announcement. “Beyond that, we — and the search committee — were struck by her reputation not just for working collaboratively but for effectively drawing others into collaboration.”
Contact Lekhya Kantheti at lkantheti@nyunews.com.
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