From the Office of President David Sylvester
James Roussain has served in the capacity of the University of St. Michael’s College’s Interim William D. Sharpe Chief Librarian of the John M. Kelly Library since June 1, 2022, and his term in this role formally ends on May 31, 2024.
In order to inform a decision on the appointment of the next Chief Librarian, President Sylvester is organizing an external review of James Roussain’s leadership. The process will be run by an external Leadership Review Committee composed of Nicholas Terpstra (Professor, Department of History), Loryl MacDonald (Associate Chief Librarian for Special Collections and Director of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library), and chaired by Kate MacDonald (Chief Librarian of Trinity University). The Committee will establish standards in consultation with the President, run the review, and make a recommendation to the President in a drafted report.
Process:
Beginning in February, the Committee will solicit input from key stakeholders from the USMC and University of Toronto Libraries communities to assess James Roussain’s leadership performance as Interim Chief Librarian. In addition to all John M. Kelly Library technicians, librarians, and archivists, representatives from each of the following constituencies will be invited to meet with the Committee or submit written feedback: College Faculty, RSM Faculty, PIMS, USMC Senior Administration, and alumni.
The Committee will also invite written assessments of James Roussain’s leadership performance as Interim Chief Librarian from the wider community to collect feedback from those who were not directly contacted by the Committee. These written assessments will be considered by the Committee when preparing a final report.
After consultations are complete, the Committee will submit their recommendation to President Sylvester in a written report. The President will use this information to determine whether to appoint James Roussain the next Chief Librarian, or to call together a Search Committee.
Review of the Kelly Library:
The comprehensive review of the John M. Kelly Library, originally slated to occur before the hiring of the next Chief Librarian, has been delayed until a number of important ongoing projects have progressed or been concluded, including Federation negotiations with U of T and the Regis Library move. The Library review will take place in the light of any consequential changes to the Federation agreement(s), and its findings will inform both the Kelly Library’s strategic plan and the priorities of the Chief Librarian.