Elaine Westbrooks Source: Jason Koski/Cornell University
Since 2017, [Elaine] Westbrooks has served as UNC’s University librarian and vice provost for University Libraries, leading a system of 10 libraries and a team of hundreds of employees. She has spearheaded University Libraries’ work in diversity, equity and inclusion, working to make the library system a better, more accessible space for underrepresented communities.
Her last day at UNC will be May 31. Westbrooks is the first Black University librarian since the position was created in 1901.
“I lean into that because it really changes the way I think about the world,” she said. “And so I really think I’ve been the right leader for the right time.”
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Her hope for University Libraries moving forward is for it to continue being recognized and acknowledged for its work.
“I’ve felt supported for the five years I’ve been here,” Westbrooks said. “I’ve been given autonomy to do some amazing things.”
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This summer, Westbrooks will continue her work at another library system.
She’ll return to Ithaca to be the Carl A. Kroch University Librarian at Cornell. It’s an opportunity to start over at another place she loves, Westbrooks said.
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.
