Columbia University librarian, technology leader James G. Neal to be speaker in K-State's Provost's Lecture Series

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Source: Alfred W. Cochran, 785-532-4372, cochalw@k-state.edu
http://www.k-state.edu/provost/academic/lecture/
News release prepared by: Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, 785-532-6415, ebarcomb@k-state.edu

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIAN, TECHNOLOGY LEADER JAMES G. NEAL TO BE SPEAKER IN K-STATE'S PROVOST'S LECTURE SERIES

MANHATTAN -- The administrator who oversees academic computing at Columbia University and its system of 25 libraries will speak at Kansas State University as part of the Provost's Lecture Series.

James G. Neal will speak from 1:30-3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27, in the Hemisphere Room at Hale Library. The lecture, originally slated for November 2006 but rescheduled because of inclement weather, is open to the public.

Neal will present "Chaos Breeds Life: Imperatives Defining the Future Relevance and Impact of the Academic Research Library." The presentation will highlight current and future trends defining both the malaise and the vitality of the academic research library. A series of imperatives will be outlined on the urgent and strategic roles and responsibilities for the library as it advances from legacy to infrastructure to portal to commons to enterprise.

Neal is the vice president for information services and university librarian at Columbia. He works with the Electronic Publishing Initiative at Columbia, the Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning, Digital Knowledge Ventures, the office of informational technology planning and policy and the office of informational technology research and development. At Columbia, he has focused in particular on the development of the digital library, special collections, global resources, instructional technology, building construction and renovation and fundraising programs. He also serves on key academic, technology, budget and policy groups at the university.

Previously, he served as the dean of university libraries at Indiana and Johns Hopkins universities, and was in administrative positions in the libraries at Pennsylvania State and Notre Dame universities and the City University of New York. Neal is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences, and a consultant and published researcher with a focus in the areas of scholarly communication, intellectual property, digital library programs, organizational change, staff turnover and fundraising.

Neal has served on councils and executive boards of various library associations and worked on the editorial boards of journals in the field of academic librarianship. He was selected as the 1997 Academic/Research Librarian of the Year by the Association of College and Research Libraries.