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August 2007
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CAMPUS NEWS |
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New University Librarian Brings Energy, Enthusiasm to AU
Anyone who thinks of their local librarian as a curmudgeonly type looking down over a pair of old-fashioned glasses to scold someone talking above a whisper with a “shssh” hasn’t met Bill Mayer. On August 1, AU’s new university librarian began his tenure, and already, it’s clear he’s far from the quiet, bookish person one might expect in the role. Announced in May as AU’s new librarian after a year-long, comprehensive search process, the former associate librarian from GW comes to AU with years of experience, a wealth of new ideas for building AU’s library for the 21st century, and strong endorsements from the library search committee. Mayer describes his arrival at AU during an already exciting time in higher education as “an incredible crossroads of opportunity” – between having a new president who’s clearly committed to the library; a new chief information officer; and the combined “excitement, incentive, and energy” they and others bring. “It sounds trite, but it really is AnewAU,” he says. “We’re reinventing and reinvigorating our enterprise. For me personally, what excites me most is the opportunity for collaboration as we serve students, faculty, alumni, and our community as best as we can.” Prior to coming to AU, Mayer has held positions at the Washington Research Library Consortium, Harvard University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He holds a BA from the University of Washington in Seattle and an MLS from the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, from Simmons College in Boston. Among the ideas Mayer has for bringing AU’s library services to the forefront of higher ed., he hopes to bring a deeper integration of library services into the curriculum and stronger services for students – including addressing the library’s physical space crisis. “I have a lot of ideas and vision and thought. But it’s remarkably pompous to come here without context of the culture, so I’m trying to be mindful and respectful and create an environment where people feel safe to think differently...and move toward trust in integrated service.” Mayer sees the library as the linking force amongst all of AU’s schools, AU abroad, continuing education, and more. He hopes to encourage the notion of AU as a partner in its constituents’ lifelong learning. “All that ties together through IT and the library,” he notes. “I have a fantastic library staff and fantastic faculty committed to what they do and ready to do new things. And I can’t say anything about the library without recognition for what Diana Vogelsong (who served as acting librarian since January 2006) did in the interim.” If improving the students’ and faculty’s library experience means opening the library for new partnerships and expanding its presence on campus, Mayer is all for it. “The total AU experience is something I think the librarian can be a significant partner in. We represent all facets of university operations, and the more we fearlessly move forward, partnering with the community, the better off we’re going to be,” he says. Still, despite all his new ideas and hopes for creating AnewAU at the library, Mayer says his immediate plans are really just to listen. “There’s a lot to absorb. I’ve been in the library world for the last 17 years, and it’s an absolute thrill to be here at American right now.” -Melissa Reichley | |||
