Robert Hudson to Retire as University Librarian; Formation of the University Librarian Search Advisory Committee
From Dr. Jean Morrison, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer
Robert Hudson, who has served in various roles in the libraries at Boston University since 1979, as Director of University Libraries from 1992, and most recently as University Librarian since 2007, has announced that he plans to step down from his administrative leadership role and retire from the University. He will continue to serve as University Librarian through the completion of the search process for his successor.
Bob has been an exemplary steward of Boston University’s libraries and scholarly collections, overseeing a system that has grown to today comprise 23 libraries on our campuses, with access to more than 4 million physical and electronic titles, 578 databases, and 58,000 periodicals, both hardcopy and electronic. Bob has been an important leader in the University’s implementation of OpenBU – aimed at strengthening our commitment to the widest possible archiving, online sharing, and dissemination of BU research and scholarship. In particular, he was instrumental in passing the 2009 Open Access Policy and the effort to move BU from an “Opt-In” to an “Opt-Out” implementation of this policy for faculty scholarly articles in 2015. Over the past several years, Bob has strategically led library-wide organizational change and the continual development of expertise within the library staff to respond to new impact areas (such as Open Access) and to shift resources from print-based processes and collections to digital and emerging areas. He has worked successfully to strengthen collaborations and partnerships with library consortia and professional organizations to better share resources that support research, scholarship, teaching, and learning across institutions. We are grateful to Bob for his steadfast service to BU.
We will hold a national search to identify a new leader for the Boston University libraries. This search, in addition to recruiting a key new member to BU’s scholarly leadership, presents a pivotal opportunity for the University to chart the future of its library services. The individual we seek for this position will be a transformational leader charged with re-envisioning a 21st century BU Library and its capacity to advance research, scholarship, and teaching, including leveraging innovations in digital and information technology. An announcement of the members of this search committee and its formal charge will be made in the coming weeks.
We will honor and celebrate Bob’s many contributions to Boston University and its libraries over his nearly 40 years of service at an event in the spring semester. I know that you join me in wishing Bob well in his retirement.