After a two-year vacancy, the J. Paul Leonard Library will get a new university librarian this fall.
Deborah Masters, who has extensive library background and has worked at three universities as a librarian since 1976, was chosen for the position at SF State.
Masters will replace Eric Solomon, who has been interim university librarian at SF State three different times during the past 17 years.
"I think that the library needs someone like Deborah Masters who is a skilled professional, who can lead in planning for the next decade. Something which I have no skills in," Solomon said.
Masters' duties will include being directly responsible for library personnel, programs, facilities, budgets and equipment.
She will also assist other librarians in coordinating and improving information resources at SF State. Masters will report to Vice President for Academic Affairs, Marilyn Boxer.
The library offers students a growing number of electronic resources for information, such as Lexis-Nexis, and knowledge of these resources is key to the position. Current knowledge about print and media resources is also essential.
Boxer, was quoted in Campus Memo as saying, "Debbie is an extremely well qualified individual with a keen interest in future directions for university libraries that include offering access to both print and electronic information."
Masters has worked as a librarian at George Washington University's Gelman Library in Washington D.C. since 1983 and was interim University Librarian there from 1992 to 1994.
While at the University, Masters did extensive work on publications, presentations and curriculum development.
Before working at George Washington, Masters was a librarian for State University of New York and Pennsylvania State University, where she did her baccalaureate work.
She received her masters in library science from the University of Pittsburgh in 1976.
Masters has taken a research and personal development leave from George Washington University this semester to act as a visiting program officer for the Coalition for Networked Information in Washington, D.C.
She plans to visit SF State this summer to meet with her new staff.
Masters was not reached in time for publication to comment on her new position.