New Vice Provost for Libraries Announced!

Lisa R. Carter has been selected as the next vice provost for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries.

Carter has been the associate director of special collections and area studies since 2011 at The Ohio State University Libraries in Columbus, Ohio. Previously, she was the head of the Special Collections Research Center at North Carolina State University Libraries in Raleigh, N.C. and the director of archives at the University of Kentucky Libraries in Lexington, Ky. In her professional service, Carter has advanced conversations about integrating distinctive collections widely throughout the academic enterprise.

Carter says she looks forward to leading the Libraries as a boldly engaged and valued partner in the innovation, achievement, and problem solving.

“The UW-Madison Libraries are well positioned to contribute strategically to the teaching, learning and research that enhance the quality of life in the state of Wisconsin, the nation, and the world,” Carter says. “I look forward to working with the Libraries’ talented and passionate staff to take the organization to its next level of achievement.”

Carter received a master’s degree in information and library studies from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary humanities from Michigan State University.

At Ohio State, she has helped advance campus-wide discussions that position the Libraries as a valued partner and leader, such as exploring digital arts and humanities practice on campus and cultural heritage collection stewardship. Carter has also established and provided leadership for a museum-quality exhibition program that provides library experiences that inspire discovery and opportunistic engagement with Libraries’ expertise and collections. Her experiences in a number of leadership positions throughout her career have built her reputation as a capable administrator.

Carter will succeed Ed Van Gemert, who announced in September that he will retire in May after 46 years of work with libraries and 36 years of continuous employment with the General Library System. She will begin at UW-Madison Aug. 1.

“Lisa is a passionate supporter of libraries and brings years of experience working in higher education,” says Provost Sarah Mangelsdorf. “We are thrilled to welcome her to campus and look forward to her leading our libraries as they continue to evolve and support our campus.”

Job responsibilities include developing staff skills and roles that align with the rapidly changing position libraries have in supporting research and scholarship. Carter will also develop and enhance access to relevant, distinct and compelling content and collections, and cultivate and engage in campus, regional, national and international partnerships to develop economies of scale that facilitate scholarship and better support the mission of the university and the library.

UW–Madison Libraries is one of the 10 largest public university library systems in the United States. Library collections and services are decentralized and coordinated through the leadership of the General Library System, which provides technical infrastructure, support for acquisitions and integration of campus library services. The GLS involves approximately 220 full-time employees and its physical collections are among the largest in the country, with more than 10 million volumes.

-By Käri Knutson