Provost Mark S. Wrighton has named a 10-member committee to advise him on the appointment of a new director of the MIT Libraries to succeed Jay K. Lucker, who will retire next August.
Professor Peter S. Donaldson, head of the literature section, chairs the search committee, which includes students, faculty, administrative staff and library staff as members.
Professor Wrighton invited members of the community to make recommendations to the committee chair on potential appointees and on the search process.
Mail can be sent to Professor Donaldson at Rm 14N-422 or by e-mail to
Mr. Lucker, a nationally known expert on library operations and buildings, was praised for his long and effective tenure at MIT by both President Charles M. Vest and Professor Wrighton when he made his announcement last June.
Other members of the committee appointed by Professor Wrighton are:
Joseph W. Barco, a senior in chemistry; Dutch Chung, a graduate student in chemistry; Professor John de Monchaux, urban studies and planning; Professor Loren R. Graham, Program in Science, Technology and Society; Gregory A. Jackson, director, academic computing; Professor Steven R. Lerman, civil engineering; Ruth K. Seidman, head of the engineering and science libraries; Professor Lisa A. Steiner, biology, and Professor Eleanor D. Westney, management.
In his charge to the committee, Professor Wrighton said: "In seeking a new director for our libraries we seek an individual who will remain sensitive to the needs of our faculty and students in the pursuit of their scholarship and research. The director must also manage a complex and excellent organization, including a large number of highly professional colleagues who share in the responsibility to provide libraries services to the MIT community.
"While books and journals will remain a critical scholarly resource here and elsewhere, the information age is upon us and an individual who can lead us to appropriate levels of the use of information technologies will be essential to sustaining our world class standing as an academic institution focused on science and technology.
"The advisory committee should consult widely with the MIT community regarding the interests and needs of the academic enterprise, and the committee should consult broadly to identify candidates for director of libraries at MIT."
A version of this article appeared in the November 2, 1994 issue of MIT Tech Talk (Volume 39, Number 10).
