Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • Videos
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Library
    • Research
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • Videos
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Library
    • Research
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community

Liddy Selects David Seaman as Dean of the University Libraries

Monday, June 8, 2015, By News Staff
Share
David Seaman is announced as the new dean of  the Syracuse University Libraries.

David Seaman is announced as the new dean of the Syracuse University Libraries.

Syracuse University Interim Vice Chancellor and Provost Liz Liddy today selected David Seaman as University librarian and dean of the Syracuse University Libraries. Seaman comes to Syracuse from Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., where he is currently the associate librarian for information management.

“David is an exceptional librarian who has spent his career advancing and promoting the vital role libraries play in an academic community,” says Liddy. “His knowledge of digital library services and systems will be of great value to us as we move ahead with our Academic Strategic Plan, and I am confident his background will be of significant benefit to our faculty, students and staff. I have recommended David to the Board of Trustees, and I fully expect they will support this selection.”

Chancellor Kent Syverud says the selection of Seaman will move the University into a new era of collaboration on research, scholarship, teaching and learning. “David’s experience, background and expertise will be of great value in creating additional academic and scholarly connections between the University’s libraries and its schools and colleges. A strong and robust library is a critical part of what makes Syracuse a thriving, private international research university. I know David is the right person for this important deanship.”

“I am delighted to be joining Syracuse at this critical time in its history, as the institution reconceives its academic plan, seeks greater operational excellence and evaluates the physical campus environment,” Seaman says. “A great university needs a world-class library to support its broad research endeavors, enhance the student experience and provide innovative spaces and services that respond to a changing academic world. In collaboration with my new colleagues in the University Libraries and across campus, I welcome the opportunity to contribute my experience, enthusiasm and energy to moving Syracuse forward.”

Interim Dean of the School of Information Studies and Professor Jeffrey Stanton, who chaired the search committee, says Seaman garnered acclaim from both the search committee and the wider campus community for his experience, his broad knowledge of academic research libraries and his collaborative approach to work. “Our Syracuse University Libraries and the people who work there are tremendous resources for our campus,” Stanton says. “It was clear to the search committee that David has all of the capabilities needed to lead this wonderful and complex organization.”

Seaman joined Dartmouth College in 2006, where he has contributed to the library’s strategic planning, technology leadership, budget management and some targeted fundraising. He oversees several critical areas for the library, including the Preservation Services, the Book Arts Workshop, the Digital Library Program, the Jones Media Center and the Records Management Division. Before joining Dartmouth, Seaman was the executive director of the Digital Library Federation in Washington, D.C., a consortium of 40 major academic libraries and organizations dedicated to using digital standards and technologies to extend their collections and services. While there, he grew membership in the organization by attracting many libraries from outside the United States for the first time, including the British Library, Oxford University and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

From 1992-2002, Seaman served as the founding director of the Electronic Text Center at the University of Virginia (UVA) in Charlottesville, Va., where he established a digital library enterprise with a strong user-service focus. He worked in close collaboration with many parts of the UVA Library, including Special Collections, Cataloging and the University Press.

Seaman has lectured and published extensively in the fields of humanities computing and digital libraries and has taught digitization courses at UVA’s Rare Book School since 1993. He was an Association of Research Libraries Leadership Fellow from 2011-2012 and a member of the 2014 Senior Fellows Program at the UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information.

Seaman’s academic background is as a medievalist. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England, and a master of arts degree in medieval and Renaissance studies from the University of Connecticut. His recent research is centered on collaborative leadership in the information professions. He is currently working on a Ph.D. in managerial leadership at Simmons College in Boston.

Seaman will assume his new role on Aug. 3.

New Library Dean from Syracuse University News on Vimeo.

  • Author

News Staff

  • Recent
  • Most Read
  • YouTube Fails In Its Fight Against Disinformation
    Thursday, December 5, 2019, By Daryl Lovell
  • Community Comes Together for Peace Vigil
    Thursday, December 5, 2019, By News Staff
  • Statement from Syracuse University Regarding Closure of Crouse-Hinds Hall on Thursday, Dec. 5
    Thursday, December 5, 2019, By News Staff
  • 2020 SyracuseCoE Faculty Fellows Request for Proposals Now Open
    Thursday, December 5, 2019, By Kerrie Marshall
  • From ‘Justice for Jenny’ to Justice for All: Burton Blatt Institute Redefines ‘Supported Decision Making’
    Thursday, December 5, 2019, By News Staff
  • SU in the News: Tuesday, July 3
    Tuesday, July 3, 2012, By News Staff
  • Syracuse University Permanently Expels Theta Tau Chapter
    Saturday, April 21, 2018, By News Staff
  • Seven Syracuse Alumni Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 Lists
    Thursday, January 5, 2017, By John Boccacino
  • Syracuse University Announces $118 Million Investment to Create a New Stadium Experience
    Monday, May 14, 2018, By News Staff
  • 100 Years after WWI: The Lasting Impacts of the Great War
    Monday, July 28, 2014, By Kathleen Haley

More In Campus & Community

Students Raise Service Dogs in Training as Part of Their Life on Campus

You may have noticed “Princeton” and “Waltham” around campus this fall: attending classes, hanging out on the Shaw Quad, living on South Campus and making new friends. These two friendly faces aren’t here for the academics but a different type…

Co-Authors to Sign “Forever Orange” Commemorative Book on Dec. 14

The co-authors of “Forever Orange,” the commemorative book highlighting 150 years of Syracuse University history, will be signing copies of the book later this month. Authors Scott Pitoniak ’77, a nationally honored columnist and best-selling author, and Rick Burton ’80,…

Health and Wellness Services During Finals Week and Winter Break

Through the final days of the semester and winter break, the Barnes Center at The Arch health and wellness services and resources will operate on limited schedules, including some closures. Please refer to the Barnes Center website for full hours…

Student Box Office Hours During Finals and Semester Break

The Student Box Office hours during finals and semester break will be as follows. Friday, Dec. 6: noon-midnight Saturday, Dec. 7: noon-9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8, through Wednesday, Dec. 11: Closed Thursday, Dec. 12, and Friday, Dec. 13: 10:30 a.m.-1:30…

Community Comes Together for Peace Vigil

On Dec. 4, students, faculty, staff and community members gathered for a Community Peace Vigil on the steps of Hendricks Chapel. Spiritual leaders from Hendricks and the broader Syracuse community called for the community to come together to fight hate…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • @SUCampus
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2019 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.