CHICAGO, August 3, 2006 - The Newberry Library today announced the promotion of Hjordis Halvorson to Vice President for Library Services. Most recently, Halvorson was acting Vice President for Library Services for the Library and has served the Library as Director of Reader Services for more than 16 years.
As Vice President for Library Services, Halvorson is responsible for the three vital areas of the Library: Collection Services; Conservation Services; and Reader Services.
"I am honored to be asked to serve the Newberry Library in this capacity," Halvorson said. "Library Services plays an active role in acquiring, preserving and cataloging the library's materials and serving the needs of library users, both near and afar. I look forward to spreading the joys of using the Newberry's collections to all of our readers."
Halvorson has been at the Newberry since 1988, when she arrived from the College of St. Thomas to be Reference Services Supervisor. She was soon promoted to Director of Reader Services, the position she has held ever since. She received her B.A. degree from Concordia College, her M.A.T. from Wesleyan University, and her M.L.S. degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Halvorson is an active participant in the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of the American Library Association, serving on its Executive Committee as a Member-At-Large, as well as participating on its Task Force on Core Competencies for Special Collections Professionals and its Membership and Professional Development Committee.
"Hjordis is an exceptional leader, person and librarian," said David Spadafora, president and librarian for the Newberry Library. "I know that she will continue to be highly successful in her new role as Vice President of Library Services for the Newberry Library.
"The Newberry Library takes pride in fostering greater understanding and appreciation for the humanities both locally and around the world. Hjordis will be instrumental in leading this effort," he added.
ABOUT THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY
The Newberry Library is an independent library open to the public for research and reference in the humanities. One of the largest independent research libraries in the United States, the Newberry holds an extraordinary collection of more than 1.5 million books, 5 million manuscript pages and 300 thousand historic maps. As one of the world's leading repositories of a broad range of books and manuscripts relating to the civilizations of western Europe and the Americas, the Library's mission is to acquire and preserve research collections of such materials, and to provide for and promote their effective use by a diverse community of users.