UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Joe Salem, associate dean for learning, undergraduate services and commonwealth campus libraries in University Libraries at Penn State, has been recommended to serve as director of Michigan State University (MSU) Libraries, pending approval by the MSU Board of Trustees on June 22.
“I want to thank Joe for his many contributions to the University Libraries and to Penn State over the last few years. Joe’s collaborative leadership has helped to recruit more than 20 new colleagues to positions throughout the commonwealth, including the fulfillment of five new faculty librarian positions to support University-wide strategic efforts, and has represented the libraries well in strategic planning within our organization and at the University level,” Barbara I. Dewey, dean of University Libraries and Scholarly Communications, said. “I look forward to working with him at the Big Ten Academic Alliance and the Association for Research Libraries.”
Since his arrival at Penn State in 2015, Salem oversaw the development of a Library Assessment Department and an Instruction Steering Committee and has supported and encouraged Libraries-wide and programmatic approaches to assessment and teaching and learning that both have facilitated. He also chaired the University Libraries’ Strategic Plan Steering Committee and the Open Educational Resources Working Group of the University’s Transforming Education Steering Committee.
Salem has been an active member of several University groups including the Administrative Council on Undergraduate Education and the Digital Learning Academic Council. He added strategic librarian positions to support Penn State’s open educational resources, online learning, student engagement, entrepreneurship, and reference and technology initiatives, and led efforts to build and grow partnerships across Penn State to make the libraries a key partner in and leader on the University’s efforts to transform undergraduate education.
A national search will begin for his successor.