In a move that Provost Barry Scherr described as a total surprise, College librarian Richard Lucier will be stepping down from his post after three years. According to an email sent by Lucier to the College's library staff and select members of the administration, he will step down when his contract expires on Jan. 30.
In his email, Lucier told the library community on Sunday night that he had notified College Provost Barry Scherr that he would opt not to renew his three-year contract. That notification came last week, Scherr said.
"He has done a huge amount to move the library forward in a lot of ways, showing a lot of imagination and vision, and he will be missed ... He has been an appropriate and strong spokesperson for the vision of the kind of library we want in the 21st century," Scherr said.
Lucier came to Dartmouth in 2001. During his tenure as librarian he orchestrated the transition from Baker library to the Baker/Berry composite library and saw to the construction and implementation of the Digital Library, which went online last year. Lucier previously served as the Associate Provost for Scholarly Information for the University of California. During his tenure with the UC system Lucier worked to establish the California Digital Library still in place at UC schools.
In addition to the development and implementation of the Digital Library, Scherr said that Lucier's efforts to "see the library as a real center for learning on campus and expand the library's educational role on campus," also rank highly on his list of accomplishments.
Turmoil also marked Lucier's tenure, as College-wide budget cuts took a particularly harsh toll on the library system. Both Sanborn and Carpenter Libraries received cuts in their operating budgets that precipitated changes such as the movement of Art History reserve books from Carpenter to Berry, and the loss of autonomy for the Sanborn Library.
Given that his current contract was set to expire in January, Lucier would have been up for review over the next couple of months and would have likely engaged in discussion with the Provost about whether or not his contract would be extended. Scherr said, however, that the review process for Lucier had not yet begun.
Regarding his future plans, Lucier wrote that he will be flying to San Francisco the day after his contract expires, but lists many other "interests which are new, long-neglected, or still-to-be-discovered" as things he looks forward to after leaving Dartmouth, including "a flexible life less controlled by the rigidity of institutional culture and customs," "riding my bicycle," and "electing a Democratic president in 2004."
Lucier mentioned no plans to continue his profession as a librarian elsewhere, but was thankful of the time he had spent at Dartmouth.
"I am grateful to have had the opportunity to lead the Dartmouth College Library during the initial steps of its lengthy and challenging transition to a library that reflects learning and scholarship as they evolve in the 21st century," Lucier said.
The process of finding a replacement will begin in the next few weeks, Scherr said, and begins with the appointing of a search committee. Scherr said that the committee will be looking for someone "who can maintain a strong vision of the future." While he would prefer that search to commence by mid-term, allowing for the appointment of a librarian able to replace Lucier immediately after his departure, Scherr left open the possibility of needing a "interim leader" while the search is facilitated.
