As is the policy for all deans and senior administrators, the University of Virginia is conducting a review of University Librarian and Dean of Libraries Karin Wittenborg in the final year of her current term prior to taking action on reappointment.

Executive Vice President and Provost John D. Simon has appointed a committee, chaired by Jahan Ramazani, Edgar F. Shannon Professor of English, to conduct her reappointment review.

Other members of the review committee are:

• Alison Levine, professor of French language and literature
• David Mills, professor of economics
• Josipa Roksa, associate professor of sociology
• Ian Harrison, professor of chemistry
• Laura Hebenstreit, third year student, College of Arts & Sciences
• Patricia Lampkin, vice president and chief student affairs officer
• Brad Gunter, U.Va. alumnus, Department of English
• Leigh Rockey, preservation and reformatting specialist, Alderman Library
• Gertrude Fraser, vice provost for faculty recruitment and retention

Christine Ruotolo, manager, digital services and technology, Alderman Library

An important part of the review process is the gathering of opinion from the University’s many constituencies, Simon said. The review committee is seeking comments about Wittenborg’s performance from members of the U.Va. community.

All responses will remain anonymous. No comments or observations will be attributed to any individual in any report of the committee. Anonymous comments will not be accepted.

The committee invites U.Va. community members to share their thoughts, preferably by email or letter. Communication should include the nature of the community member’s interactions with Wittenborg, so that the committee can understand the context of the comments as fully as possible. The committee will discuss responses, and a summary will be included in the written report to the provost.

The charge to the committee requests an assessment of Wittenborg’s performance with respect to the following responsibilities:

• Align with the deans of the schools to understand their strategic plans and priorities, both to better serve their faculty and students and to identify opportunities for collaboration.

• Build and preserve traditional and digital collections to support research, teaching and learning at U.Va.
• Contribute in tangible ways to professional organizations and to national and international initiatives important to higher education.
• Stay abreast of new forms of scholarship and adopt new tools and strategies that support research, teaching and learning.
• Build and develop a first-rate staff with the skills and expertise to support and contribute to the work of faculty and students.
• Build human and financial resources sufficient to sustain and advance the University Library now and in the future.
• Collaborate within the University as well as nationally and internationally.
• Develop an organizational culture that allows the University Library to be agile, innovative and collaborative. 
• Develop physical and virtual spaces that welcome students, faculty and staff and enable their work.

Send letters or comments by Oct. 11 to Raj Seneviratne at librarianreview@virginia.edu, or by mail to Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, P.O. Box 400308, Charlottesville, VA 22904; or to Jahan Ramazani at rr5m@virginia.edu or by mail to Department of English, P.O. Box 400121 , Charlottesville, VA 22904.