OCUL Appoints Interim Executive Director

  • Posted on: 10 May 2021
  • By: Anika

TORONTO (Ontario), 10 May 2021 - The Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Vandenburg as Interim Executive Director, effective May 1, 2021.
 
As Interim Executive Director, Michael will lead OCUL’s mission, vision and strategy within a dynamic context, overseeing the consortium's planning, administration and operations. This includes shaping priorities for technology and service activities initiated by the consortium and fulfilled in partnership with the University of Toronto Libraries and Scholars Portal, as well as with other institutions and organizations. In this leadership role Michael will actively engage with the membership during OCUL’s governance review and the development of future directions for the consortium. 
 
Michael joins OCUL following twelve years of service at Queen’s University Library, most recently serving in Acting and Interim Vice-Provost & University Librarian (VPUL) roles since January 2019. During that time Michael provided leadership for the library and the university through a period of significant change, navigating the many operational changes required throughout the pandemic. Michael brings significant experience in the collaborative and consortial work of libraries through his previous roles in provincial, public and special libraries in Nova Scotia, Philadelphia and Kingston. During his time at Queen’s Michael has been deeply engaged in the collaborative efforts of OCUL, helping to establish the Ontario Library Research Cloud and Collaborative Futures and serving on a wide variety of groups. Michael has a strong interest in governance and currently serves as a member of the OCUL Governance Review Task Group.
 
“OCUL is delighted to welcome Michael Vandenburg as Interim Executive Director” says Beth Sandore Namachchivaya, University Librarian at University of Waterloo and OCUL Chair. “He brings to this role substantial leadership in academic libraries and I am confident his knowledge and expertise will be a true asset to OCUL during this transition.“  
 
Michael joins OCUL for a one-year term on secondment from Queen’s University and succeeds John Barnett who is taking up the position of Dean of the Library at the University of South Carolina Upstate in June, 2021. John has provided outstanding leadership as Executive Director since 2015 and OCUL wishes him all the best in his future role. 
 

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About OCUL

OCUL is a consortium of Ontario’s 21 university libraries and an affiliate of the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) translate. Its strength lies in its commitment to work together to maximize collective expertise and resources. OCUL has been collaborating since 1967 to enhance information services in Ontario and beyond through collective purchasing, collaborative planning and shared digital information infrastructure.
 
For more information contact Anika Ervin-Ward, OCUL Administration and Communications Coordinator, anika.ervin.ward [at] ocul.on.ca.