LEXINGTON, Ky. — Doug Way has been selected as the next dean of the University of Kentucky Libraries pending approval by the UK Board of Trustees. Way is currently associate university librarian for Collections and Research Services at University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“I am honored and thrilled to be joining the University of Kentucky as dean of libraries,” Way said. “This is an exciting time to be working in libraries and higher education. I look forward to collaborating with the outstanding faculty and staff within the libraries and across campus to support the research, teaching, learning and service missions of the university.”
Way is passionate about building a culture of collaboration to advance student and faculty success through forward-thinking and service-focused initiatives propelling libraries forward in today’s landscape.
For five years, Way has served as associate university librarian for Collections and Research Services at UW-Madison, where he provides leadership for the library’s collection development and management, resource sharing and scholarly communications programs. During his tenure, he supervised a direct staff of 75 full-time employees and an overall budget of $12 million for the university’s general libraries system of 14 libraries that supports more than 4 million visitors per year.
In addition, Way has written and presented extensively on topics related to collection management, shared print and the future of library collections.
Before arriving at UW-Madison, Way served as head of collections and scholarly communications at Grand Valley State University. While at Grand Valley State, he also spearheaded a statewide distributed shared print program that resulted in nine state-funded institutions in Michigan working collectively to manage widely held low-use collections.
Way holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Grand Valley State University and a master’s degree in library and information science from Wayne State University.
“We are delighted to welcome Doug Way to the UK family,” said UK Provost David W. Blackwell. “His extensive experience will serve him well as he leads UK Libraries in this incredibly important position. With one of the nation’s largest book endowments for public university libraries, UK Libraries plays a vital role in supporting student success and in enhancing intellectual and economic capital — both on campus and beyond. Our entire campus will benefit from his leadership.”
Way will begin his tenure Aug. 1.
The major research library in the Commonwealth and a member of the Association of Research Libraries, UK Libraries comprises eight major facilities spanning campus: William T. Young Library, Agricultural Information Center, Hunter M. Adams College of Design Library, Education Library, Lucille C. Little Fine Arts Library and Learning Center, Medical Center Library, Science and Engineering Library and the Special Collections Research Center. UK Libraries also manages the Lexmark Library.
Home to a treasure trove of materials, collections and information resources, UK Libraries makes available more than 4.2 million volumes; over 1.6 million electronic books; nearly 70,000 full-text electronic journals, over 450 bibliographic databases; approximately 50,000 cubic feet of archival records and manuscripts, 65,000 rare books and 11,000 oral history interviews; and a broad collection of government documents, maps, microforms, film/video and newspapers.
UK Libraries faculty and staff have a wide range of expertise, including acquisitions and collection development, discovery systems and information technology, special collections and preservation, information literacy and reference help, research data management, and digital technologies. These individuals provide outstanding service, collaborate with instructors to create rewarding and affordable learning opportunities for students across all disciplines and support researchers at all levels with their creative and academic scholarship.
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