Happy Anniversary! Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL) Celebrates 70 Years of Advancing Research Libraries in the Southeast

From ASERL:

The Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL) proudly celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2026, marking seven decades of leadership, collaboration, and innovation in support of research libraries and higher education across the southeastern United States.

Founded in 1956, ASERL has played a pivotal role in shaping regional and national conversations around access to information, preservation of the scholarly record, and the future of research libraries.  ASERL has grown into a vital consortium of leading research libraries committed to advancing professional development for people working in libraries, supporting innovations in scholarly communication, strengthening and sharing collections, and fostering cooperative solutions to the evolving challenges facing research institutions.

“ASERL’s strength has always come from its members and their shared commitment to collaboration,” said Dr. Leslie N. Sharp, Dean of Libraries at Georgia Tech and ASERL’s Board President for 2025-26.  “As we celebrate this milestone, we honor the vision of our founders, the dedication of generations of library leaders, and the enduring impact of working together to support the continued success of the students, faculty, and researchers we serve.”  Throughout 2026, ASERL will commemorate its anniversary year with a series of activities highlighting its history, achievements, and ongoing initiatives to reflect on the organization’s legacy while also looking ahead to the continuing to strengthen the contributions of member libraries in supporting their universities’ missions.

For 70 years, ASERL has adapted to meet the changing needs of its members and the communities they serve. The anniversary year offers an opportunity not only to celebrate past accomplishments, but also to reaffirm ASERL’s commitment to strengthening our community, access to world-class research collections, and collective action.   “As research libraries continue to evolve, ASERL remains focused on what has defined us for 70 years: collaboration, trust, and shared purpose,” Dean Sharp added. “We look forward to building on this foundation for decades to come.”

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Filed under: Academic Libraries, Libraries, Management and Leadership, News, Preservation