Duke University has appointed Joseph A. Salem Jr. the next Rita DiGiallonardo Holloway University Librarian and vice provost for library affairs, effective August 15, 2022.
Salem is currently dean of libraries and interim associate provost for teaching and learning innovation at Michigan State University (MSU). He has led the MSU Libraries since 2018, initiating a strategic planning process for the libraries and a subsequent reorganization emphasizing diversity, equity, and inclusion, and faculty and student engagement. He also co-led the development of the university-wide MSU 2030 Strategic Plan. During his tenure leading MSU Libraries, Salem oversaw the naming of the Stephen O. Murray and Keelung Hong Special Collections and the largest cash gift in the history of MSU Libraries, which supported a move to climate-controlled space for the Murray and Hong Special Collections and portions of the University Archives and Historical Collections.
Prior to joining MSU, Salem was assistant dean for learning, undergraduate services, and Commonwealth Campus Libraries at Penn State (2015–2018). Before that, he was an adjunct instructor in the School of Library and Information Science at Kent State University (2002–2015) and head of Reference Services for Kent State University Libraries (2005–2011). Salem has served as psychometrician on two national information literacy initiatives: Project SAILS (Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills) and the K–12 TRAILS (Tool for Real-Time Assessment of Information Literacy Skills).
Salem is active in the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), currently serving as chair of the Research & Analytics Committee (2018–2020, vice-chair 2020–2021, chair 2021–2022). He served as a Leadership and Career Development Program (LCDP) career coach (2020–2021) and on the Salary Survey Task Force (chair 2019–2020) and the ARL Academy Advisory Committee (2016–2018). He was also an ARL Leadership Fellow (2016–2017).
At Duke, Salem will succeed Deborah Jakubs, who is retiring May 15, 2022, after leading the libraries since 2005. Dracine Hodges will serve as interim university librarian until Salem assumes his role.
For more information about Salem and this appointment, see the Duke University news release, “Joseph Salem Named University Librarian.”
