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

Rholes to serve as interim dean for KU libraries

LAWRENCE â University of Kansas Provost David Shulenburger announced today that Julia Rholes will serve as interim dean of the University Libraries until a successor is named for Keith W. Russell, who will step down as dean Jan. 10 for health reasons.

"The KU libraries are a vital resources for the University of Kansas. We are fortunate that Julia Rholes has agreed to step in at this important moment." Shulenburger said. He also announced that Richard Fyffe will serve as interim associate dean during this period.

Rholes joined KU three years ago as the assistant dean for information services at University Libraries. Before arriving at KU, she held a number of administrative positions in library services at Texas A&M University. She has a bachelor's degree from Mount Holyoke College, and master's degrees from the University of Texas and Rutgers University.

Fyffe joined KU as assistant dean for scholarly communication last August after working for 10 years at the University of Connecticut Library. He has a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from the University of Connecticut in Storrs and a master's degree from Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science in Boston.

Rholes will lead University Libraries while KU launches a national search to find a new dean. As announced Dec. 18, Russell will move to a position responsible for coordinating employee development for KU classified and unclassified staff.

Marilu Goodyear, vice chancellor for information services, said Rholes will focus on University Libraries' on-campus relationships while Fyffe will work on broader national issues such as scholarly communication. "We are confident that Julia and Richard will maintain the high level of programs and services at University Libraries," Goodyear said.

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. Spencer Research Library is internationally known for its world-class special collections of rare books and manuscripts.