News from the University of Alberta

August 20, 2010

Appointment of the Interim Director, School of Library and Information Studies

It is our pleasure to announce that Ernie Ingles has accepted the position of Interim Director, School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS), effective August 20, 2010.

Ernie will retain his current responsibilities as Vice-Provost, and will retain overarching accountability for University of Alberta Libraries within the Learning Services portfolio, but will begin the immediate transition of his active engagement with regard to the University of Alberta Libraries to Ms. Mary-Jo Romaniuk as Acting Chief Librarian. Based on mutual agreement, Vice-Provost Ingles will maintain some very specific elements of responsibility that would normally be undertaken by the Chief Librarian.

With provincial, national, and international stature in practice, we are excited at this particular time by the possibilities that Ernie will bring to SLIS. He has held numerous positions over his lengthy career, and has served the University of Alberta well for twenty years in a variety of increasingly responsible positions, but always including the Libraries as Chief Librarian. His accomplishments are considerable, including being an active player within the library and information management or technology communities having served and continuing to serve within numerous professional and related associations and organizations. He has published frequently, including seminal reference tools and library human resource capacity studies, and is a sought after speaker at conferences and related events. He has been the recipient of numerous awards, professional honours and was in 2001 specially elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. A key contribution to the profession was his founding of the now renowned Northern Exposure to Leadership Institute.

Recognizing his reputation for collaboration and innovation, we have given Ernie a strong mandate to work with the faculty and staff of SLIS, alumni, past SLIS leadership, employers and all other relevant stakeholders to build upon achievement—to secure a future for SLIS and for its current and future students so that they will be successful in an increasingly exciting but volatile library and information science landscape with a similarly volatile array of required competencies.

He will, in addition, work closely with the other departments that comprise the Faculty of Education contributing to the overall vibrancy that is the Faculty, and he will explore areas where more integration and collaboration may be achievable. Whether in teaching, professional and institutional service, or research Ernie has accepted the challenges of the directorship at this time as he strongly believes that SLIS will come to exceed the expectations of the internal communities to which it contributes, and the external communities which it serves.

Carl G. Amrhein, Provost and Vice-President (Academic)

Fern Snart, Dean, Faculty of Education

Acting Chief Librarian, University Libraries

It is our pleasure to announce that Mary-Jo Romaniuk has accepted the assignment of Acting Chief Librarian, University of Alberta Libraries, effective August 20, 2010. Vice-Provost Ingles will begin the immediate transition of his active engagement with regard to the University of Alberta Libraries to Ms. Romaniuk. Based on mutual agreement, Ernie will maintain some very specific elements of responsibility that would normally be undertaken by the Chief Librarian. Mary-Jo will report to the Office of the Provost by way of the Vice-Provost (Learning Services) and will also be deputized to represent the Vice-Provost when so instructed.

Ms. Romaniuk has enjoyed increasingly responsible positions at the University since her initial appointment in 1997, after distinguished service within the Government of Alberta and Thorne, Ernst & Whinney, Chartered Accountants. Her service to the University began as head of Library Financial Systems but was quickly expanded to include the entire Learning Services portfolio.  In 2008, she enjoyed a year in the Office of the Provost as Senior Financial Officer, and in returning to the Libraries was appointed as Associate University Librarian (Information and Financial Resources) responsible for development of general collections, and enabling acquisition strategies, digital library initiatives, planning, and resource management (operating and capital) including reporting, evaluation of operational performance, service assessment, evaluation and statistics, fund development, marketing and communications. She has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Saskatchewan, a Masters of Library and Information Studies from San José State University in California, and is a PhD candidate completing doctoral study at Queensland University of Technology in Australia.

Ms. Romaniuk has been a most valuable asset to the University. Her attributes are many, but she has characterized herself as an individual capable of finding opportunity and solutions where often only challenges are apparent. She is well known for her competencies—attributes such as rigor of analysis and the power of evidence-based decision making. She has had a consequential role or contribution to a number of key initiatives undertaken by University of Alberta Libraries in recent years, including (but not limited to): the acquisition of the Major-General Samuel Steele Collection; the launch of the Education and Research Archive, the University’s institutional repository and digital archive; the ongoing renewal of the Cameron Library’s ‘Learning Commons’, the First Nations Information Connection Initiative;  the evolution of the partnership with the Edmonton Public Library (EPL) including the provision of EPL service to students at no charge; and the Lois Hole Campus Alberta Digital Library. Her current focus has been on the continued development of the Libraries’ digital initiatives including research data curation, and most particularly establishing the Libraries’ as a key component of the evolving national and international trusted digital repositories’ networks.

We are confident that Ms. Romaniuk will provide the leadership and continuity that the Library needs to proceed in the forthcoming years with the implementation of its strategies and enabling actions associated with the renewal of the University’s Academic Plan and the Libraries’ component role therein.

Carl G. Amrhein, Provost and Vice-President (Academic)

Ernie Ingles, Vice-Provost (Learning Services)