UK Libraries is driven by its people: from our archivists and librarians to our multifaceted staff, and from student workers to library administration, meeting the informational needs of a world-class research university requires a diverse array of specialists, each with their own roles, functions, and areas of expertise. Across our many branches, teams, and divisions, we know that best serving our users and attaining our ambitious vision depends on open collaboration and a spirit of partnership.
As our organization takes all of us to function, so should it be governed by all of us. When it comes to decisions about allocating resources, recruiting and retaining faculty and staff, developing strategic plans and educational policy, fulfilling our mission, and enacting our values, we bear a collective responsibility to work together to build the best library system and university that we can.
Meeting these ideals and embodying this principle of shared governance requires that all of our voices are represented and heard. To this end, we organize our channels of communication and administrative structure to ensure open, timely, and effective sharing of expertise and talent across faculty, staff, students, and administration. We take pride in our commitment to working together, and are excited to share the progress we make.
Learn more about our organizational structure below. For more details, we invite you to consult our Library Faculty Rules (PDF).
The Executive Committee guides the policies and strategic direction of UK Libraries in the interest of fulfilling the organization's mission and values. The Committee is composed of the following positions, whose responsibilities are delineated below:
The Committee meets weekly, and seeks the input and expertise of faculty and staff across the Libraries as needed.
The dean is the chief administrative officer of the Libraries, and is responsible for establishing policies and procedures for the daily operation and long-term success of the organization.
The dean also oversees matters of:
The Associate Dean of Finance, Administration, & Operations oversees UK Libraries’:
The Associate Dean of Outreach, Engagement, & Collections oversees UK Libraries’:
The Associate Dean of Research & Discovery oversees UK Libraries’
Elected by library faculty, the Faculty Council solicits and organizes faculty input on the educational policy, strategic direction, and resource allocation of the Libraries, including budget decisions and hiring prioritization. The Council sets the agenda for monthly faculty meetings, which serve as the primary avenue of communication between the faculty and library administration. The Council is also charged with facilitating the performance review process, appointing faculty to non-elective standing committees, and establishing ad hoc working groups as needed.
The Council is composed of the following positions:
Elected by library staff, the Staff Advisory Council meets on a monthly basis and serves as the primary channel of communication between staff and library administration. The Council solicits and organizes concerns, questions, and suggestions relating to staff and library operations in support of the shared governance values of the Libraries.
The University Senate determines the broad academic policies of the University of Kentucky.
Composed of six senators (faculty members across the University elected by their peers) and the Dean of Libraries, the Senate Library Committee is responsible for providing policy recommendations that improve the effectiveness of the Libraries as an integral part of the mission and academic program of the University.
We are proud to extend our reach and impact through memberships and partnerships with the following organizations, initiatives, and professional associations:
