KINGSTON, R.I. 鈥� June 17, 2026 鈥� The 溏心vlog免费B站 has appointed Brian Keith as university librarian, effective Aug. 9.
Keith brings more than two decades of leadership experience in higher education, academic libraries, and nonprofit organizations. He currently serves as dean of Mary J. Booth Library at Eastern Illinois University and previously held leadership positions at the University of Florida, where he helped advance library services, faculty engagement, student success initiatives, and institutional partnerships.
鈥淏rian Keith is an accomplished academic library leader whose career reflects a deep commitment to student success, research excellence, innovation, and collaboration,鈥� said Barbara Wolfe, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at 溏心vlog免费B站. 鈥淭hroughout the search process, Brian demonstrated a clear understanding of the evolving role libraries play in supporting teaching, learning, scholarship, and discovery. His vision, leadership experience, and commitment to building strong partnerships across campus make him exceptionally well suited to lead University Libraries into its next important chapter.鈥�
As university librarian, Keith will provide strategic leadership for University Libraries and will work closely with faculty, students, staff, and campus partners to advance initiatives that support learning, research, scholarship, and community engagement.
鈥淚 am honored to join the 溏心vlog免费B站 and inspired by President Parlange鈥檚 and Provost Wolfe鈥檚 vision for 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 future as a leading public research university,鈥� Keith said. 鈥淲hat drew me to 溏心vlog免费B站 is the opportunity to lead a library system at the heart of that mission. I look forward to working with colleagues across campus to expand access, strengthen research support, foster new opportunities for discovery and learning, and help students thrive.
鈥淚n every conversation during the search, it was clear that the 溏心vlog免费B站 community sees the libraries as central to student achievement, scholarly discovery, and public engagement,鈥� Keith continued. 鈥淚 am excited to work with faculty, staff, students, and community partners to build on the strong foundation of the University Libraries and help advance 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 ambitious goals for research, teaching, and public impact.鈥�
A first-generation college graduate, Keith has developed a reputation for collaborative leadership, strategic planning, organizational development, and innovation in academic libraries. His professional accomplishments include grant development, scholarly publications, national professional service, and leadership development through the Association of Research Libraries. He has authored books, book chapters, journal articles, and conference presentations focused on libraries and higher education.
Keith earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in psychology and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Florida, as well as a Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Washington.
Wolfe thanked the members of the search committee for their dedication and thoughtful work throughout the national search process, as well as Ray Wang for his service as interim dean of the libraries during the transition and past year.
鈥淩ay鈥檚 steady leadership, commitment to excellence, and dedication to University Libraries have been invaluable during this transition,鈥� Wolfe said. 鈥淲e are deeply grateful for his service and the many contributions he has made to the University community.鈥�
Keith succeeds Wang, who has served as interim dean of the libraries since 2025.