The University of Missouri Libraries are pleased to share the appointment of Kara Whatley as vice provost for libraries and university librarian, effective Oct. 1, 2024. Whatley is currently the university librarian at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and serves as the chief executive of the Caltech Library system.

Whatley’s previous roles include positions of increasing leadership at Texas Tech University Libraries and New York University Libraries. Throughout her career, she has shown a consistent strategic focus on catalyzing information discovery, preservation and sharing to support the university mission.

She is a member of the Association of College Research Libraries (ACRL) and is currently serving as the ACRL Division Councilor and the ACRL representative to the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Science and Technologies section. She also currently serves as a member of the Elsevier North American Library Advisory Board, the EBSCO North American Deans and Directors Library Advisory Board and the Springer Nature Library Advisory Board.

The Libraries are also pleased to share that Jeannette Pierce will serve as interim vice provost for libraries and university librarian until Whatley’s arrival in October. Jeannette has a strong track record of leadership and is well positioned to continue the libraries’ momentum in the interim period. Please join us in welcoming Kara Whatley to Mizzou and congratulating Jeannette Pierce on her interim appointment.

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