Dr. Nancy E. Gwinn Appointed SIL Director

Dr. Nancy E. Gwinn

Dr. Nancy E. Gwinn became Director of the Smithsonian Institution Libraries on July 20. In making the appointment, Smithsonian Provost J. Dennis O’Connor highlighted the management experience she had gained at the Libraries as Assistant Director, Collections Management since 1984. “Along with her leadership and contributions to the national library community,” said O’Connor, “her experience will serve the Smithsonian community ... very well in the coming years."

Well-known for her leadership in planning national library programs, prior to her appointment at the Smithsonian Dr. Gwinn had developed cooperative programs in collection management and preservation for the Research Libraries Group in Stanford, California, and served as a program officer for the Council on Library Resources, a private operating foundation in Washington, D.C. She has consulted for such national organizations as the American Library Association, Association of Research Libraries, Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, and the U.S. Agricultural Information Network.

In welcoming her, Smithsonian Secretary I. Michael Heyman credited her leadership in preservation of library resources, the application of electronic information technologies in libraries, and building collaborations and partnerships in collection development and preservation.

At the Smithsonian, her achievements include development of the Libraries’ digital products, building collections, and fundraising. Dr. Gwinn has also published and lectured on a variety of historical and library-related topics, including world’s fairs, international exchange programs, research library operations, and the Smithsonian.

A Fulbright scholar, she holds a doctorate in American Civilization from George Washington University, an A.M.L.S. in Library Science from the University of Michigan, and a B.A. from the University of Wyoming. She is a member of the Grolier Club in New York City and the Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C.