Honnold/Mudd Library will welcome Rebecca Lubas, currently the director of discovery, acquisitions, and consortium services at the University of New Mexico Libraries, as its first associate dean beginning March 10.
Lubas’ position was created as part of the Honnold/Mudd Library’s efforts to transform their administrative organization, a process which began around a year ago with the hiring of the library’s first independent dean. Previously, the seven members of the Claremont University Consortium (CUC) rotated library leadership.
Lubas was one of three
finalists who visited the CUC last semester to be interviewed
for the associate dean position.
“Rebecca’s strengths and
national reputation in collection development and management, cataloging and
metadata, and consortial activities were paramount in our decision to select
her as our winning candidate,” wrote Kevin Mulroy, A.J. McFadden Dean of the Library, in an email to TSL.
Lubas said that one of her priorities as associate dean is to work with students to ensure that the library meets their needs.
“Something I am very excited about is working to create inviting learning spaces … because the library is an important place for people to meet and have a place where they can study,” she said.
“I think the library has the potential to be a great resource to 5C students, so I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what kind of new opportunities they will be able to offer,” Rachel Miller-Haughton SC ’17 said.
The 10-member hiring committee was headed by Mulroy, and included faculty members and students.
Mulroy, who was appointed to his position last year, said that he is confident
that Lubas will make a strong addition to the library.
“She is a team leader and team player that can
be relied upon to produce high quality results quickly, thoroughly, and efficiently,”
he wrote.
Lubas said that she is looking forward to working with Mulroy.
“I think we are really going to be able to complement each other as a team,” she said. “I have a strong background in library technical services and digital library initiatives, so I hope this is something I can contribute.”
She said that her current position’s responsibilities include selecting and maintaining new materials, as well as ensuring that all items are properly included in the catalog. She also has experience coordinating services between multiple institutions.
“At the University of New Mexico, we are operating a network
of 16 independent libraries around the state,” she said.
Before coming to New Mexico, Lubas worked at libraries at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass., and Ball State University in Muncie, Ind.