At most academic institutions, September represents the beginning of many things, fresh faces, new students, and new horizons—and this year, the University of Saskatchewan (USask) adds one additional newbie to the lineup, dean and university librarian!
On September 1, Lori Birrell began her five-year term as the USask Library dean and university librarian. In this role, she will lead all six University Library sites as they charge forward with innovation, partnerships, and advancing the mission of the university.
Lori joins USask at an exciting time, as the university recently surpassed its $500 million fundraising goal, cementing its vital role in shaping USask to be the university the world needs. Some of Lori’s forthcoming initiatives include enhancing the stewardship of unique scholarly resources, moving the archives and special collections into a new state-of-the art space, maintaining strong relationships with the library donors, and ensuring that the library is a welcoming environment for all students.
Prior to her arrival at USask, Lori served in key administrative roles at the University of Arkansas and the University of Delaware, where she led rare collections, museum operations, and contributed to shaping organizational strategy—in fact, her research on leadership development continues to shape the broad field of librarianship. Lori’s academic background includes advanced degrees in feminist studies, history, library science, and higher education leadership.
