The Binghamton University Interim Dean of Libraries is stepping down this spring.

Jill Dixon, current interim Dean of Libraries, had filled the position after Curtis Kendrick — former Dean of Libraries at BU for seven years — stepped down to pursue “personal projects” last August. Dixon had temporarily taken on the role to fulfill administrative duties as the department continued to search for a long-term replacement. An interview process for a permanent replacement is planned to begin by the end of the spring 2023 semester, after Dixon steps down.

The search for a new candidate is well underway, with applications still being accepted and interviews scheduled to occur mid semester, according to Dixon.

“The process is being conducted through the Office of the Provost and includes a search committee of several faculty and staff from within the Libraries and across campus,” Dixon wrote in an email. “They have partnered with a search firm, Wittkieffer, to help promote the position to qualified candidates. While timelines are always fluctuating depending on various circumstances, the hope is that we will have the Dean position filled this spring before I step away.”

Upon graduating college, Dixon said her goal was to work in the nonprofit sector. Dixon first worked at Special Olympics International, followed by the National Building Museum and the American Society of Civil Engineers before working at Binghamton. Dixon, who has worked in the BU Library system for 15 years now, began her career in the Library system as an engineering librarian. As time went on, she began to assume more responsibility as manager of the Science Library and Science Library Coordinator.

The Dean of Libraries is responsible for putting the Libraries’ strategic plan into practice and managing day-to-day functions and services of departments within the library. This includes managing finances, fundraising and advancing IDEA (inclusion, diversity equity and accessibility) within the library system. Dixon said she managed the responsibilities through collaboration with faculty.

“One of the unique aspects of the Dean of Libraries position is how collaborative it is,” Dixon wrote. “Not only is the Dean tasked with collaborating with faculty, staff and students within the Libraries, but across campus to provide the best resources available. Serving as the Interim Dean of Libraries, I have enjoyed working with the many connections that I have made over the years working at Binghamton to collaborate on so many great initiatives and projects for the Binghamton community. Any transition can be challenging in many ways and have an effect on so many people. Despite the challenges, I have appreciated the willingness and ability for everyone to adapt. I credit that to working with some amazing people in the Libraries”.

The transition has not notably affected those with forward-facing roles at Bartle Library. When asked if this change in the Dean of Libraries has been significantly “challenging” or has affected his job at the library help desk, James Johnson, a first-year graduate student pursuing a masters of science degree in biomedical anthropology, confirmed that the transition had not significantly affected his role.

Dixon has experience in multiple library administration departments prior to her position as Interim Dean of Libraries. Dixon credits being able to efficiently work with a large team to her previous work in library administration.

“While it is so easy to focus on the here and now, and I more than often have to, it is important to recognize all the experiences that add to your own unique expertise,” Dixon wrote. “My experiences, in particular, have helped me organize and communicate with a large team as well as identify areas of growth in providing resources to a campus community. It is most definitely bittersweet, but I have been most fortunate to have served [BU] for the last 15 years. I am proud of how much the Libraries has grown since I started and I am looking forward not only to my next chapter but the next chapter for the Binghamton Libraries”.

Hannah Gross, a sophomore majoring in integrative neuroscience, was glad to hear the position was going to be filled.

“I spend a lot of my time in the library and use a few of the information resources there,” Gross said. “It’s good to know that such a critical role in the library system here will be filled soon.”