Dean of libraries position sought by four candidates

Staff Report

Four finalists were named Monday for the dean of University Libraries.

Viola Florez, dean of the College of Education, was chairwoman of the search committee that began looking for candidates early last fall.

"We had some really excellent candidates," she said. "We're asking for someone who can be a leader."

The candidates are:

Martha Bedard, associate dean of Information and Collection Services, Texas A&M University Libraries

Stanley Wilder, associate dean of River Campus Libraries at the University of Rochester

Sohair Wastawy, chief librarian at the Library of Alexandria, Egypt

Tyler Walters, associate director for Technology and Resource Services at Georgia Institute of Technology Library and Information Center

Each candidate will visit campus and have an open forum, beginning with Bedard on Thursday. Her forum is scheduled for 9 to 10:15 a.m. in the Willard Reading Room at Zimmerman Library.

The other candidates' forums have not been scheduled, but Florez said that information will be publicized when the schedule is complete.

Florez said it won't be easy to get participation in the forums.

"That's always a challenge," she said. "I'm hoping that we do have a really good turnout."

Florez said the new dean must collaborate with the other deans to provide students with the tools they need to be successful in

college.

The dean will have to figure out how to update the libraries' system, she said.

"We're in an information society, so how do we get our library up to speed to prepare our students for the 21st century?" she said. "One of the things we really looked for was that whole knowledge of information technology in academic libraries."

Fran Wilkinson has been filling in as dean since last year, when Camila Alire retired.

"We didn't need to lose her," Florez said. "She was just

awesome."

Florez said the candidates have different strengths, making the next dean a hard choice to make.

"They're unique. So, I think the competition and the selection process is going to be difficult," she said. "We can't have all four. We're going to have to narrow it down to one."