Since its creation in 1982, the Senior Fellows Program at UCLA has identified and developed many academic library leaders who have gone on to distinguished careers. Upon the retirement of longtime director Beverly Lynch, professor of information studies, Brian Schottlaender will come on board as its new director. In addition, the program will become a collaborative effort of the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, the UCLA Library and Ithaka S+R, a nonprofit that provides guidance to the academic community.
The fellows program combines management perspectives, strategic thinking and practical and theoretical approaches to the issues confronting academic institutions and their libraries. During the three-week residential program, fellows listen to lectures, review case studies, attend field trips and participate in group study sessions. Of some 250 alumni, nearly half have gone on to positions as library directors.
“It’s truly my privilege to follow in the footsteps of Beverly Lynch, who has contributed so much toward the development and success of the Senior Fellows Program,” said Schottlaender, a member of the 1995 class. “I look forward to leading the program — in collaboration with our new partners — and am eager to help shape the next generation of library leaders in the academic world.”
Schottlaender, who will retire from his position as the Audrey Geisel University Librarian at UC San Diego on June 30, is one of the academic library world’s prominent leaders. Under his direction, the UC San Diego Library has become one of the nation’s top public academic research libraries. Long a proponent of cooperation among libraries and related organizations, Schottlaender is a member of the board of directors of the Digital Preservation Network, a member of the “portal: Libraries and the Academy” editorial board, an endowment trustee of the American Library Association and an advisory board member of the American Library Association’s Center for the Future of Libraries. He also co-chairs the international consultative committee of “Digital Dunhuang.”
“The Senior Fellows Program has established an unmatched legacy in the development of academic library leadership, and it was a joy to lead the program during the past 25 years,” Lynch said. “Brian Schottlaender is an outstanding appointment to lead the program into its next phase, and now, with pleasure, I turn it over him.”
A member of the first fellows class in 1982, Lynch has guided the program since 1991. She has used her background as an academic dean and as a library leader to bring in speakers ranging from chancellors, provosts and academic faculty to influential figures in library and information policy. Furthermore, she has customized the curriculum for each cohort and carefully structured opportunities for interaction in order to make the experience as rewarding for participants as possible.
The next fellows program will take place in 2018 at UCLA.
