Brenda L. Johnson, Library Director and University Librarian (Photo by John Zich)
Library Director and University Librarian Brenda Johnson has announced plans to retire, effective November 15.
An internationally respected leader in the field of library science, Johnson was first appointed to her role in 2015. The Library is central to the University’s mission of academic and research excellence, and Johnson has led the Library in excelling in a changing environment, enhancing access to physical and digital collections and resources, advancing digital scholarship, extending the University’s impact through local and global engagement, and cultivating an inclusive community.
Johnson has spearheaded efforts to empower faculty and students in their research, teaching, and learning by expanding research and development opportunities. She has overseen the launch of the Library’s Center for Digital Scholarship, which enables faculty and students to explore new methodologies, analyze complex data, visualize theoretical and spatial relationships, and share and preserve research results. The Library has led the development and expansion of Knowledge@UChicago, the digital repository for preservation and sharing of the scholarly, creative, and administrative assets of the University. Johnson has introduced the provision of GIS (Geographic Information System) services through the hiring of a new GIS/Maps Librarian and the opening of a GIS Hub in the Crerar Library.
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Before joining the University, Johnson served as the Ruth Lilly Dean of University Libraries at Indiana University, Bloomington; University Librarian at the University of California, Santa Barbara; and Associate University Librarian for Public Services at the University of Michigan.
A national search will be conducted to identify Johnson’s successor.
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area.
He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit.
Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.
