Earlier this week, the University of Florida (UF) selected Patrick J. Reakes to serve as the interim dean of the George A. Smathers Libraries. News of Patrick’s appointment follows former dean Judy Russell’s retirement.
Some of Patrick’s many accomplishments include serving as UF’s principal investigator for the $1.9 million US National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) National Digital Newspaper Program, leading all branch renovations and improvements in all six on-campus libraries, and his recognition as a 2009–10 ARL Leadership Fellow.
While Patrick’s interim appointment will continue through June 30, 2026, he has a robust agenda, which includes raising capital for the University Libraries, filling strategic faculty and staff positions, increasing digital collections materials, and expanding open access.
Patrick is a long-term, 24-year, UF library leader, has served as senior associate dean of Scholarly Resources and Services since 2018, and previously chaired the humanities and social sciences library. Prior to joining UF, he served in the US Navy and in the Naval Reserves. Patrick earned his master’s in library and information science from Florida State University and his undergraduate degree from the UF College of Journalism and Communications.
For more information, view the full announcement from the University of Florida.
