November 28, 2023

Mid Designer

Breakaway from the pack

FSU Libraries names new associate dean of technology and digital scholarship

Florida State University Libraries has named Debra Hanken Kurtz as its new affiliate dean of technological innovation and electronic scholarship.

Florida State University Libraries has named Debra Hanken Kurtz as its new associate dean of technology and digital scholarship.
Debra Hanken Kurtz, associate dean of know-how and digital scholarship for FSU Libraries

Kurtz will come to Florida Point out from Arizona Point out College (ASU), in which she served most not long ago in the role of Director of Knowledge Governance. She succeeds Jean Phillips, who has retired after 10 several years of service as associate dean at FSU Libraries.

“Ms. Kurtz’s collaboration and communication strengths and her wealthy practical experience in library technological innovation, digital preservation, and facts governance will boost the FSU Libraries’ contributions to instructing, mastering, and analysis,” explained Gale Etschmaier, dean of College Libraries. “We are delighted that she will offer leadership to FSU and the Libraries.”

As affiliate dean, Kurtz will oversee a division that delivers significant-high-quality engineering products and services, management in digital scholarship and help for new versions of scholarly conversation for the libraries and campus neighborhood. She will create collaborative partnerships and lead initiatives that align the libraries’ do the job with the university’s strategic plans.

“I look ahead to working with excellent colleagues to make sure equitable access to all the riches in the university’s collections and to foster an atmosphere of critical considered and civil discussion, hallmarks of a lively democracy and proof of the library serving as the campus property for intellectual inquiry,” Kurtz said.

As the director of Data Governance at ASU, Kurtz labored with consultants and the ASU community to design and style their Privateness and Details Governance system. This application made a framework for the university to ensure knowledge integrity and honor the interests and company of the men and women whose info the college stewards.

Her function in details governance is informed by her qualified library expertise and determination to an individual’s proper to open inquiry.

Prior to her role as director of Knowledge Governance, Kurtz served as associate college librarian for Technological know-how Companies at ASU, the place she was liable for the library’s infrastructure, products and services system, net presence, and repository and electronic preservation expert services. Kurtz has also held the function as CEO of DuraSpace, the place she grew the business from a start off-up to a totally performing global company that crafted sustainable open-supply remedies that preserved, delivered entry to and promoted the discovery of collections and study products.

Kurtz’s before roles bundled head of Digital Experience Solutions and executive director of the Texas Digital Library, and head of Electronic Jobs and Production at Duke College Libraries.

Kurtz holds a Grasp of Library Science from UNC-Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Arizona Condition College.

For additional information and facts about FSU Libraries, go to lib.fsu.edu.

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