DePaul University has appointed Scott Walter as university librarian. Walter, a GSLIS affiliated faculty member, currently serves as associate university librarian for services and associate dean of libraries at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Walter also holds faculty appointments as professor of library administration and professor of library and information science and has held affiliate appointments in the College of Education.
When Walter joins DePaul on April 30, he will oversee the libraries’ collection of more than 800,000 volumes housed in the John T. Richardson Library on the Lincoln Park Campus and DePaul’s Loop Campus Library. In addition, DePaul’s libraries hold special collections that include university and Vincentian archives as well as rare books and manuscripts.
“I welcome the opportunity to join the DePaul community at a unique time in its history and to lead its libraries in building a vision of library and information services that meets the needs of a 21st-century academic community dedicated to teaching, learning, scholarship and service,” said Walter. “Libraries are a fundamental social institution and an essential component for ensuring access to education in a diverse community. DePaul’s libraries have a proud history of contributing to the Catholic, Vincentian and urban missions of the university, and they are part of a vibrant library community in Chicago and the state of Illinois. I look forward to joining my colleagues in the libraries and across campus and to building on a tradition of excellence in library and information service.”
At the University of Illinois, Walter provided leadership for librarywide public, technical and administrative services programs and was a library liaison to campus strategic planning initiatives and assessment programs. He also oversaw more than $15 million in upgrades to library facilities and provided leadership for the design of its Scholarly Commons and Media Commons.
Walter, 44, originally from Binghamton, NY, has been elected to leadership positions in the American Library Association and the American Educational Research Association. He has published articles in journals such as College & Research Libraries, Information Technology and Libraries, Reference Services Review, The Reference Librarian, and Reference & User Services Quarterly. Walter is currently serving on the editorial boards of College & Research Libraries and ACRL Publications in Librarianship.
Prior to the University of Illinois, Walter served as assistant dean of libraries for information and instructional services at the University of Kansas and as interim assistant director of libraries for public services and outreach at Washington State University.
Walter completed his doctoral degree in higher education administration at Washington State University. He received his master’s degree in Russian studies from Georgetown University and a master’s degree in education from American University. He received a master’s in library science and a master’s in history and philosophy of education from Indiana University. Walter is a member of the American Library Association, the Association of Library & Information Science Education, and the Association of College & Research Libraries.
“DePaul’s libraries stand at perhaps the greatest point of strength in their history. We are poised to transition to the new futures that are rapidly emerging in the world of academic libraries,” said the Rev. Edward Udovic, C.M., vice president for teaching and learning resources. “As the new university librarian, Walter will bring a wonderful and exciting combination of experience, vision and proven leadership to this moment of opportunity and challenge.”