Laine Farley Named Executive Director of CDL

By Jennifer Colvin, CDL Strategic Communications Consultant

After an extensive search, the University of California has named Laine Farley as Executive Director of the California Digital Library (CDL), effective November 24, 2008. Farley, who has been with the CDL since its inception in 1997, had been serving as Interim Executive Director since July 2006.

"What we needed was not just a great leader for the CDL, but also a strategy for building the next generation of digital libraries," said Daniel Greenstein, Vice Provost – Academic Information and Strategic Services. "It was equally clear that the best way forward in envisioning this new world would be to draw upon the creativity, leadership, and talent already within UC and the CDL, and to ramp up our planning efforts. Laine’s vision and leadership, which she has demonstrated during challenging times, will take the CDL in new and exciting directions."

As part of ongoing planning with the University of California libraries, Farley will work closely with the University Librarians on the 10 campuses and others throughout the UC system to ensure that systemwide library services continue to evolve to better support libraries and scholars.

Previously, Farley’s roles at the CDL have included positions as Director of Digital Library Services and Deputy University Librarian. In addition, she was the User Services Coordinator and the Coordinator of Bibliographic Policy and Services at the UC Division of Library Automation. She has also been a reference librarian and coordinator of bibliographic instruction at UC Riverside, and head of the humanities department at the Steen Library at Stephen F. Austin State University. Farley holds a B.A. in liberal arts (Plan II) and an M.L.S. from the University of Texas at Austin.