UM's Lowry Named ARL Exec Director

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Board of Directors has appointed Charles B. Lowry as the next executive director of the association, effective July 1. Since 1996, Lowry has been the dean of libraries at the University of Maryland (UM), College Park, a major library system serving over 35,000 students, faculty, and staff. Lowry's appointment, however, is only for a limited period. He will step down from his deanship at Maryland and take a leave of absence to lead ARL for the next three years. When his term concludes, he will return to a post in UM's iSchool, where he holds a tenured professorship.

“My decision to offer only three years was fundamentally related to my desire to return to the College of Information Studies at UM to teach and conduct my research,” Lowry told LJ. “In addition, the ARL board and I are in strong agreement that my tenure will be shaped around two major tasks: refreshing the ARL strategic plan and supporting a national search for my successor,” Lowry added. He will succeed the retiring Duane Webster, who began at ARL in 1970 and has led the organization since 1988. Lowry has served on numerous committees within ARL and said he was looking forward to taking the ARL helm at a time of “immense challenge for research libraries.”