Whenever I feel like I have a handle on all the ways the pandemic has affected my personal and professional life, which aren’t always bad, something new comes to light. Recently, I experienced a positive effect.
For the better part of five months, my focus was on the health and well-being of the River Campus Libraries (RCL) staff and the UR community, as well as how the libraries would continue to function during this abnormal time. The reopening of our spaces and welcoming our students back to campus has re-focused my attention on the varied nature of my role as vice provost and the Andrew H. and Janet Dayton Neilly Dean of the University of Rochester Libraries.
Foundationally, I am responsible for the RCL’s vision, strategic direction, values, physical and virtual spaces, collections, and fiscal and human resources, as well as the policies and enterprise systems for the University of Rochester libraries. Although each of these areas is primarily my responsibility, they are realized, executed, operated, or stewarded by the expertise of many, many individuals and teams.
A big part of my day-to-day work is engaging with stakeholders, who are University students, faculty, staff, deans, senior leaders, friends, and donors. For instance, I have formal and informal meetings with undergraduate and graduate students to hear their feedback, obtain their ideas and input, and share active and upcoming initiatives with them. My meetings with donors and friends, include those with the Friends of the University of Rochester Libraries and the University Libraries National Council. I also meet with individuals and attend events. In many of these meetings, I will share our Together for Rochester projects and RCL growth initiatives, such as Studio X, the Barbara J. Burger iZone, the Louise Slaughter Congressional Papers Archive, the impending AIDS Posters Exhibition, the Gleason Refresh Project, and the Karp Library Fellows.
Coaching and mentoring is among the most joyful aspects of my job. I take a keen interest in developing leaders within our organization. I view a mentoring relationship as a partnership. Conversations explore a range of topics, including developing a strategy to advance initiatives and one’s career path, surfacing opportunities in challenging situations, and developing one’s leadership muscle, to name a few. And the RCL is committed to creating more opportunities for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds to assume positions in research libraries. I am proud of the many opportunities we provide for managers and staff to learn and develop leadership skills. Among these opportunities is the Library Management Skills Institute; the third iteration of this learning event will occur in early 2021.
Association work is also part of my job. I was the 2018 president of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), the first from the University to hold this role, serving on the Board for six years through to 2019. Recently I filled a short-term vacancy on the Board for three-months. This work has been energizing and exciting as we move forward a stimulating agenda for research libraries in Canada and the United States, including a Task Force on which I currently serve regarding structural equity and inclusion for ARL committee and task force appointments. All of these activities build relationships, inform practice, and provide opportunities for learning and collaboration, such as when the RCL initiated the Digital Scholarship Institute with the ARL a few years ago.
Throughout my career, I have participated in conferences and scholarly writing. Recently, I was invited to contribute a chapter for a book on designing libraries for the 21st century, an area of interest and expertise of mine for more than 20 years. Contributing to the profession is expected in the role I hold, including being a thought leader to help advance and contribute to the profession. For me, these include library design, leadership and mentoring.
I wanted to share this brief glimpse into how I spend my time because I imagine there are many people who wonder what a library dean does. What I’ve provided is only a partial answer, but my hope is that you have a better sense of my work and all the areas and people to whom I give my time and attention. Most importantly, none of what I do would be possible without the support and input of my RCL and University colleagues and the alumni and friends within the University community. This work takes a village. My role is one of many and one for which I am deeply grateful. It’s an honor to be contributing to the work, reputation, and legacy of Rochester’s libraries.
Mary Ann Mavrinac
Vice Provost and Andrew H. and Janet Dayton Neilly Dean
University of Rochester Libraries
