Mary Ann Mavrinac, vice provost and Andrew H. and Janet Dayton Neilly Dean of the River Campus Libraries, has been reappointed to a new five-year term by Provost Rob Clark. The Board of Trustees has approved the renewal, and beginning July 1, 2017 Mavrinac will be vice provost and Andrew H. and Janet Dayton Neilly Dean of the University of Rochester Libraries, which is a new title that reflects the significance and impact of the University of Rochester Libraries as a whole.
“After conducting my five-year review, my impressions of Mary Ann were confirmed–she is highly respected, leads with determination, is very effective, and has great passion and enthusiasm for her work,” said Clark, University provost and senior vice president for research.
Mavrinac was installed as dean of River Campus Libraries in December 2012. Since then, she has designed the River Campus Libraries strategic plan, which balances the libraries’ response to an increasingly digital future while staying true to the foundational role of research libraries—to acquire, make accessible and preserve knowledge for future generations.
She is a recognized leader in the creation of inspiring learning spaces and the development of digital services. Notably in her first five years here, she has developed the Rush Rhees Library facilities and master plan, as well as led two major space renovations in Rush Rhees Library—the creation of Evans Lam Square, and the forthcoming iZone.
Located on the main level of Rush Rhees Library, Lam Square was unveiled this past fall as a place for innovative and collaborative programs that bring the library to the 21st century. It functions like a town square, serving as the central location for library users to get information, do research, collaborate on projects, and explore new technologies.
The Barbara J. Burger iZone at the River Campus Libraries is currently under development and made possible through a $1 million gift from University Trustee Barbara J. Burger. The iZone will be a collaborative, technology-rich space providing students with programs, services, and resources to explore their ideas and develop innovative projects for social, cultural, community, and economic impact.
Mavrinac is also a close collaborator with AS&E on the Humanities Center, providing space for this initiative in Rush Rhees Library, thereby underscoring its role as a laboratory for the humanities.
This past fall, she was named the president-elect of the Association of Research Libraries, a distinguished nonprofit organization of 124 leading research libraries in the United States and Canada.
“I am very appreciative of the support I have received from Provost Clark, and before, Provost Lennie, and other senior administrators, faculty, students, friends and alumna,” said Mavrinac. “Most importantly, it has been a joy to work with our outstanding staff, who every single day put our students and faculty first in adding value to the teaching, learning and research mission of the University. I am excited to embrace a second term as dean of the UR Libraries.”
Before coming to Rochester, she was chief librarian at the University of Toronto’s Mississauga campus, part of the University of Toronto Libraries. At Toronto, Mavrinac spearheaded the construction of a new state-of-the-art academic library.
She also served as the 2010 president of the Ontario Library Association, Canada’s largest library association.
She has been an invited speaker at the “Designing 21st Century Libraries” conferences, hosted by the Coalition for Networked Information, North Carolina State University Libraries and University of Calgary Libraries, and is regularly invited to speak on topics such as library design, leadership and mentorship.
Mavrinac is the third recipient of the library deanship, which was established in 2000 through a gift from Life Trustee Andrew H. Neilly ’47 and his wife, Janet Dayton Neilly. One of the few endowed named library directorships in the nation, the position was created to help the University attract outstanding talent.
