Charles B. Lowry has announced that he will retire from his position as Executive Director of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) at the end of December 2012. By announcing his retirement plans now, Lowry provides the ARL Board of Directors with time for a search and a seamless transition of leadership.
Lowry was appointed Executive Director in 2008 for a three-year term, which was extended for an additional two years at the request of the ARL Board. He has led ARL through significant expansion in membership and renewal of its strategic plan. During his tenure, ARL’s capacities and offerings have been strengthened and expanded. Guided by Lowry’s leadership, the Association:
- gained three new members—University of Calgary, University of Ottawa, and the US National Archives and Records Administration;
- renewed its strategic plan twice;
- led the reshaping of the Library Copyright Alliance;
- navigated the difficult economic downturn that began in 2008;
- expanded ARL’s Public Policies capacity, a vital strategic direction; and
- conducted successful searches to replace three highly accomplished senior staff essential to the Association’s mission.
Lowry has focused his public efforts on key national and international issues through presentations and research, including analysis of research library budgets since 2008; ClimateQUAL measures of organizational health and diversity; and the major policy concerns of ARL.
Before coming to ARL, Lowry served as the Dean of Libraries at the University of Maryland College Park (1996–2008). He was appointed professor emeritus and retired from the University of Maryland in 2010. Prior to the University of Maryland, Lowry directed four other academic and research libraries: Carnegie Mellon University, University of Texas at Arlington, University of South Alabama, and Elon University.
Lowry has been active throughout his career in associations and consortia, research and teaching. With colleagues he cofounded and edited two journals—Library Administration and Management, published by the American Library Association, and portal: Libraries and the Academy, published by the Johns Hopkins Press.
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The ARL Board of Directors is appointing a search committee that will conduct an open search for Lowry’s successor. The Board plans to engage a search firm to assist in this process, with the goal of advertising the position in October 2011 and making an appointment no later than December 2012.
About Gary Price
