Kevin Mulroy Named the A.J. McFadden Dean of The Claremont Colleges Library

Dear Claremont Colleges Community:

On behalf of the Joint Governance Committee, I joyfully announce that Kevin Mulroy has been appointed to serve as the A.J. McFadden Dean of The Claremont Colleges Library. He begins on July 15.

Kevin comes to The Claremont Colleges from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he has served since 2008 as the associate university librarian for academic services.

He is an academic and author with more than 25 years of experience managing some of the most esteemed research collections in the country. He is a proven leader in all facets of library management, including public services, collection management, personnel, budgeting, fundraising, and technological innovation.

Kevin was selected following a two-year national search. He will lead a library unlike any other in the country, and he arrives at a time of significant opportunity, joining a new positioning of the library within the framework of The Claremont Colleges that brings with it high aspirations and renewed institutional purpose.

In October, executive oversight of the library was assumed by the Joint Governance Committee, which is composed of the presidents and chief academic officers of the seven colleges. Leadership of the committee rotates every five years and currently rests with Claremont Graduate University.

Reporting to the lead institution, Kevin will work within this new governance model to develop and implement a strategic plan and vision for the library, ensure its integration into the fabric of each of the seven Claremont Colleges, and clarify and define the focus of its collections. He will assess the library’s space, facilities and information technology needs; lead a highly-skilled library staff; and leverage the library’s financial resources and pursue additional funding to improve growth and service.

The preeminent academic resource for our seven colleges, the library has a general collection of approximately 2 million volumes, ranking third in the state of California among private institutions.

During his service at UCLA, Kevin oversaw about one third of the university’s vast, nationally ranked library operations. He managed a budget of more than $10 million and held oversight of more than $5 million in acquisitions funds. His portfolio included responsibility for the operations of the Charles E. Young Research Library’s Collections, Research and Instructional Services; Library Special Collections; enterprise-wide Teaching and Learning and Access Services; the Powell (College) Library; the East Asian Library; the Arts Library; and the Music Library.

From 2001-08, he served at the University of Southern California (USC) as associate executive director for research collections and services and as assistant dean for contracts and grants.

Before that, Kevin worked for eight years as director of research at the Autry National Center. He also held earlier positions at the Getty Research Institute and the UCLA Library.

Kevin’s areas of subject expertise include US ethnic history and American studies. He has written two books on relations between African-Americans and American Indians:  The Seminole Freedmen: a History and the award-winning Freedom on the Border: the Seminole Maroons in Florida, the Indian Territory, Coahuila and Texas. Mulroy co-edited Seeking El Dorado: African Americans in California.  And he edited a book based on an exhibition he curated at the Autry on international responses to the Western entitled Western Amerykański: Polish Poster Art and the Western.

Kevin has presented and published widely on various aspects of U.S. ethnic history, popular culture, and academic librarianship. He has also curated a number of exhibitions and organized public programs and events.

He received a master's degree in U.S. history and politics and a Ph.D. in American studies from the University of Keele (England), and an MLS from Rutgers University.

In addition to leading The Claremont Colleges Library, Kevin will join the faculty at Claremont Graduate University as professor of history and cultural studies.

Please join us in welcoming him.

Debbie Freundon behalf of the Joint Governance Committee

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