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Contact: Lynn Bretz, University Relations, (785) 864-8866.

KU dean of libraries to step down in January 2001

LAWRENCE -- University of Kansas Dean of Libraries Keith Russell is stepping down as of Jan. 10 for health reasons, Provost David Shulenburger announced today.

"Those of us who have had the pleasure of working with Dean Russell are saddened to see his promising tenure as dean come to an end," Shulenburger said. "We are grateful for his service. It comes as no surprise that his overriding concern is for the well-being of University Libraries."

Russell said he had been in library administration "long enough to recognize how critical vigorous leadership is to a library of KU's caliber."

"I knew it would be in KU's best interest at this time to bring in a new dean," he said.

The university will launch a national search to replace Russell. Shulenburger said he will name an acting dean after meeting this week with members of the Library Faculty Assembly Executive Committee.

"The KU libraries are a vital informational resource for the region and the nation," Shulenburger said. "We will maintain a high standard for leadership during the interim and in the search for a new dean."

Russell will move to a position responsible for coordinating employee development for university unclassified and classified staff.

Marilu Goodyear, vice chancellor for information services, said that, as dean, Russell had placed a high emphasis on student services, human resources and diversity issues. During his tenure, minority library faculty and staff doubled, to 8.4 percent of the University Libraries' 72 full-time faculty and staff. University Libraries also opened Anschutz Library 24 hours a day to accommodate student study needs.

"Keith revitalized the libraries' diversity plan and showed how our minority recruitment and retention efforts could succeed," she said. "He also recognized the challenges of new technology to scholarly publishing and collection development and hired KU's first assistant dean for scholarly communication. KU is now a role model in this area."

KU's libraries are highly regarded nationally for their number and depth of collections. KU holds 3.7 million volumes, ranking 20th in size among public university libraries. KU's Spencer Research Library is internationally known for its world-class special collections of rare books and manuscripts