Release

Meredith Butler, Dean of UAlbany Libraries, Retires

Contact: Catherine Herman (518) 437-4980

ALBANY, N.Y. (May 18, 2005) -- Meredith Butler, dean of library faculty and director of libraries, will retire in July after fifteen years of leading the University Libraries.

The University will honor her successes and legacy Thursday, May 19, 2-5 p.m. in the Standish Room, New Library, uptown campus. A 3-4 p.m. program will include remarks by University at Albany President Kermit Hall.

"It is nearly impossible to quantify Meredith Butler's contributions to this University," said President Hall, "She's developed the Libraries to be among the best research facilities in the United States. She is universally esteemed, and will be sorely missed. We wish her the best of success in the future."

In 2000, Meredith A. Butler was appointed the State University of New York's first Distinguished Librarian by the SUNY Board of Trustees. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and the ARL Membership Committee. In 1980, while head of Public Services at Drake Memorial Library at SUNY Brockport, Dean Butler received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Librarianship. The University at Albany Foundation named her Academic Laureate in 2005.

Among her many successes, Dean Butler led the Campaign for the Libraries. Albany's Science Library was opened in October 1999 and Albany's Campaign for the Libraries reached a successful conclusion in 1999, exceeding its $3.5 million goal by more than $300,000.

Dean Butler received her undergraduate and master's degrees from Ohio State University, and a master's in library science from Syracuse University, where she began her professional career. Dean Butler is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and has served on the ARL Leadership Committee. She served as a member of the New York State Board of Regents Advisory Committee on Libraries and as Chair of the committee in 1995-96. She has held a joint faculty appointment in the University at Albany's School of Information Science and Policy, where taught a graduate course on the management of information agencies.

In 2004, Dean Butler established, with a gift, the Dean and Director's New Initiatives Fund for UAlbany's University Libraries, which will encourage future deans and directors of the Libraries to make strategic investments in new initiatives to advance the collections and services. Those who wish to acknowledge Dean Butler's service to UAlbany's Libraries may contribute to the fund by contacting Roberta Armstrong (518-442-3540 or [email protected]).