The Ohio State University Board of Trustees voted Thursday to approve a faculty rule change recommended by the University Senate to rename the title of “Director of Libraries” to “Dean of Libraries.” The change reflects the integral role University Libraries plays in supporting Ohio State’s academic and research priorities.
“I’m honored the board has recognized the role University Libraries plays as a key partner in helping achieve not just the university’s goals, but the goals of our researchers, faculty and students,” said Damon E. Jaggars, vice provost and dean of University Libraries.
The title change acknowledges University Libraries as a tenure-initiating unit within the university and Jaggars’ leadership of a dynamic group of faculty. University Libraries faculty are instrumental in strategic initiatives such as the University Institute for Teaching and Learning and the Affordable Learning Exchange, among several others.
As dean, Jaggars continues to provide vision, strategic direction and leadership for one of the nation’s leading academic research libraries. He is responsible for the strategic administration of University Libraries’ operational and programmatic areas, including fundraising, facilities, teaching and learning, research and scholarship, cultural heritage and exhibitions, and scholarly communications.
As part of Ohio State’s Research Cyberinfrastructure and Advanced Computing Advisory Council (RCAC), Jaggars is helping ensure Ohio State researchers have the cyberinfrastructure and advanced computing resources needed to be competitive. In addition to RCAC, he serves on Ohio State’s Council of Deans and the University Senate Fiscal Committee and, as vice provost, is part of the provost’s Office of Academic Affairs leadership team.
Jaggars previously served as interim vice provost and university librarian at Columbia University and has had significant, successful leadership experience supporting the evolving academic enterprise in the libraries both at Columbia and another top-tier research-intensive university, the University of Texas (UT) at Austin.
His work has been published broadly in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings, and his editorial service includes board membership for portal: Libraries & the Academy, co-editorship of a special issue of Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, and a stint as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Library Administration. He currently serves on advisory boards for OhioLINK, the Big Ten Academic Alliance, TOME, the Digital Scholarship Institute and as chair of the Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity committee of the Association of Research Libraries.